Adrian Brendel and Tim Horton: The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay

4:53pm Wednesday 20th August 2008

Cellist Adrian Brendel (right in picture) and pianist Tim Horton offered a double taste of things to come in their recital last week in the inspiring setting of the 14th-century Great Hall at The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay.

The main sustenance of the evening was supplied in performances of Brahms's two great cello sonatas, which the two young players are soon to be recording for CD release (inviting challenging comparison with those already supplied by Rostropovich, Jacqueline du Pré and Isserlis, among others). In between came three pieces by Sir Harrison Birtwistle, two of them from a yet-to-be-completed five-part work for cello, piano and baritone, scheduled to be given in its entirety next year.

As musical partners for seven years, Brendel and Horton enjoy a well-developed rapport. This was evident from the start of the first sonata, in E minor, where a perfect balance between the instruments was established and maintained (not easy to achieve in this intimate and atmospheric venue). The dancing minuet of the second movement and the near-fugal complexities of the third, both so revealing of their composer's interest in classical forms, were handled with confidence. Brendel's flickering closed eyelids and the drop of sweat on Horton's nose were visual evidence of the passion and power of the playing.

After the interval, similar attack was demonstrated with the gutsy opening Allegro vivace of the second sonata, in F. The vitality of this, and of the third movement, Allegro passionato, was a perfect complement to the lilting pizzicati and haunting upper register melody of the second movement, Adagio affettuoso. The flourishing conclusion to the work, lyrical and martial by turn, left the audience gasping with admiration.

Birtwistle, best known as an opera composer, is using a text by Rilke in his yet-to-be-completed five-part work. Brendel promised us an "eerie" first part "pierced by cries from the cello" and a musical game of "Chinese whispers" in the second, a set of variations, in which the stated theme was steadily distorted in its repetition. That is exactly what we got.

Pianist Caspar Frantz is joined by speaker Johannes Frank in the next concert at the Abbey on October 2, featuring music by J.S.Bach and Janacek, and readings from the work of Franz Kafka. Tickets: call 01235 847401 (email admin@theabbey.uk.com).

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