ANIMAL MAGIC BEGINS CAMBRIDGE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Freya Goldmark - director of The Cambridge Summer Music Festival now running
Carnival of the Animals? Really? Isn’t that for children?
It is of course – you could play The Elephant – ground-shaking base, to a two year old and they would understand it perfectly. But it is music for everyone who enjoys wonderful tunes and It remains a great sequence of ironic pieces . This opener to the Cambridge Summer Music Festival was unusual. Tasmin Little on stage –without her violin - but nevertheless she shimmered with glamour as she projected her wonderfully expressive voice in a hilarious commentary between the animals – a series of witty poems authored unmistakably by Ogden Nash.
Saint-Saens retired to the countryside to write his super popular pieces, bruised by criticism from some long forgotten critic. Even as he finished the sequence he was loath to publish and only allowed The Swan the final and the only truly serious piece, on to an appreciative world. Composers are such unpredictable people. Sometimes a breath of disapproval has them in a spin of self doubt – and at other times they’re defiant , like Tchaikovsky when told his first piano concerto was unplayable gibberish he took no notice. Thank God he stood firm. It has remained one of the world’s all time favourite pieces ever since.
Saint- Saens’ Carnival is a sequential delight. And interleaved with the wry laughs Ogden Nash weaves into it, a wholly enjoyable piece He deploys the entire ensemble -here the fabulous Faust Chamber Orchestra with its two pianos, a delightful timpanist, lovely wind sections for animal noises. A funny lighthearted re-invention of a warmly welcome work.
Young Composer Charlotte Harding premiered her lockdown creation Irises. It is a dreamy tonal wall of surround-sound an immersive and inspired musical celebration of all the orchestra’s many performers. Such a joy to have Charlotte Harding in the room to take a bow. This lovely composition is sure to become a fast favourite for anyone who seeks calm and stimulation joined.
The Dvorak Concerto for Strings followed - romantic and serene. But delightful and accomplished as it was, it seemed a bit of a perverse choice to march off all the non-string players as their comrades soared sublimely on stripped of the rest of this talented orchestra so celebrated with Saint-Saens.
Back to the natural world for a finale of The Flight of the Bumblebee done in a fun playful fashion - with matched peerless accomplishment - by this so -welcome band of musical brothers and sisters and their stylish young conductor. Well done The Faust Orchestra.
More of them later in the week.
The SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL IS ON UNTIL 31ST JULY AND INCLUDES MUSIC FROM BACK TO WILLIAM WALTON. Children under 16 are remarkably FREE and certain concerts offer the free pass for under-25s.
Book at www.cambridgesummermusic.com
