> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # CLASSICAL NOTES with Nick Boston - URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/classical-notes-with-nick-boston-2/ - Published: 2022-10-30T19:30:01.000Z - Updated: 2022-10-30T18:40:31.000Z - Description: Reviews and previews from our classical music columnist - Author: Nick Boston - Tags: Arts, Music, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Brighton, Brighton Dome, classical music, music, Nick Boston, Worthing ### REVIEWS American pianist **Sarah Cahill** returns with the second volume of her survey of keyboard music composed by women, **The Future is Female**. As with the first volume, the choice is eclectic, ranging from the late 17thcentury to the present day, and the loose theme this time is *The Dance*. She opens with the delightful **Suite No. 1** from **Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerr**e’s (1665-1729) *Pièces de clavecin*. **Clara Schumann** (1819-1896) is next, and her ***Variations of a theme of Robert Schumann, Op. 20***. Cahill captures the atmosphere of this deeply personal composition with understated affection. ![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/picture-1.jpg) First Hand Records FHR132 We leap forward to 1957 for **Germaine Tailleferre**’s (1892-1983) **Partita**, with its wandering melodic lines and jazzy harmonies, and a playfully balletic dance to end. Later, the **St Petersburg Waltz** by **Meredith Monk** (b.1942) swirls around repeated chords with Eastern European inflections, and **Gabriela Ortiz**’s (b.1964) **Preludio y Estudio No. 3** is full of insistent driving rhythms. The disc ends with a dramatically expressive piece, **She Dances Naked Under Palm Trees**, by **Theresa Wong** (b.1976), with haunting use of the pedal to create ringing notes, and a deeply unsettling 13-beat metre. As with the first disc, with such a fascinating and well-chosen selection of diverse works, it is easy to forget the pianist here, and once again Cahill demonstrates an impressive command of such a wide variety of styles, so as well as being a great testament to the women composers here, high praise is deserved for these performances too. **Ruth Gipps** (1921-1999) was an English composer, oboist, pianist and conductor, studying the oboe at the **Royal College of Music** with **Léon Goossens**, and composition with **Gordon Jacob** and **Vaughan Williams**. Her youthful **Oboe Concerto, Op. 20**, expertly performed here by **Juliana Koch**, along with the **BBC Philharmonic** conducted by **Rumon Gamba**, is full of lively writing for the oboe, along with lyricism in the slow movement, folksy dancing melodies in its finale. But its strengths also lie in the delicacy of the scoring, with just muted strings in the central *Andante*, and mysterious string textures in the opening movement. ![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/picture-2-e1667153285355.jpg) Chandos CHAN20161 There are two short orchestral works here too, firstly an *Overture* to a never completed opera, **Chanticleer, Op. 28**, and a dark elegy on war, **Death on the Pale Horse, Op. 25** (written in 1943), drawing inspiration from Blake’s painting of the same name. The rest of the disc is given over to Gipps’ **Symphony No. 3, Op. 57**. The shifting tonalities of the opening movement, with rich string writing, builds to exhilarating, surging climaxes, and the *Theme and Variations* second movement is warm and lush, with highly imaginative use of percussion. Again, unusual orchestral colour is on display in the *Scherzo*, with an ostinato (repeated figure) for harp and glockenspiel, against skittish string writing. The finale is jaunty, with some striking moments for the brass – she certainly knows how to make the most of all parts of orchestral textures, and Gamba and the BBC Philharmonic exploit this to the full. ![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/picture-3.jpg) Bis BIS-2603 Pianist **Clare Hammond**’s new disc of **Études** by **Hélène de Montgeroult** (1764-1836) is a complete revelation. Eight years younger than Mozart, Montgeroult, from a noble background, led a dramatic life involving a secret diplomatic mission, kidnap and imprisonment. Despite this, she was made professor of piano at **Paris Conservatoire de Musique**, and published nine sonatas, three fantasies, and her **Cours complet** containing 114 études and over 900 exercises, as well as various other pieces. Hammond has absorbed her soundworld and performs these gems with nuance, warmth and virtuosic fluidity throughout. Given that there are 29 études from the 114 here, there is surely scope for a follow-up, which would be greatly welcomed. ### CONCERTS ![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/picture-4.jpg) Randall Goosby. Credit: Kaupo Kikkas The **London Philharmonic Orchestra**, conducted by **Alpesh Chauhan**, perform **Brahms**‘ ***Hungarian Dances***and **Symphony No. 3**, and **Bruch**’s **Violin Concerto No. 1**, with **Randall Goosby** (violin) (**7.30pm** on **Saturday, November 5** at **Brighton Dome**). ![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/picture-5-e1667153429188.jpg) Carolyn Sampson. Credit: Marco Borggreve The **Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra**, conducted by **Barry Wordsworth,** perform **Haydn** and **Mahler**, and are joined by **Carolyn Sampson** (soprano) for a selection of **Mozart *Concert Arias*** **(2.45pm** on **Sunday, November 27** at **Brighton Dome)**. Brighton Dome tickets [HERE](http://brightondome.org/?ref=scenemag.co.uk) The **Paddington Trio** play **Judith Weir,** **Beethoven, Pärt** and **Shostakovich** (**11am** on **Sunday, November 20** at **Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts**). Tickets [HERE](http://www.attenboroughcentre.com/?ref=scenemag.co.uk) ![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/picture-6-e1667153507843.jpg) Eirlys Myfanwy Davies The **Worthing Symphony Orchestra,** conducted by **John Gibbons,** perform **Alwyn, Coates, Bair, Vaughan Williams** and **Elgar**’s **Sea Pictures**, with **Eirlys Myfanwy Davies** (mezzo soprano) (**2.45pm** on **Sunday, November 13** at **Assembly Hall, Worthing**). Tickets [HERE](http://wtm.uk/?ref=scenemag.co.uk) ### MORE INFO **Full reviews can be found** [**HERE**](https://nicks-classical-notes.blogspot.com/2022/09/cd-reviews-october-2022.html?ref=scenemag.co.uk) **For more reviews, comment and events,[ CLICK HERE](http://www.nicks-classical-notes.blogspot.co.uk/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)** **Twitter @nickb86uk** **Email –** [**nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk**](mailto:nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk)