Mendelssohn concerto at the concert-my favourite place to stand-among my friends!

Reporting back-a wonderful evening at Wilton’s Music Hall. Capacity audience-filled with Wilton’s energy and involvement. Great enthusiasm for the early version of the Mendelssohn concerto (John McCabe-‘I think it’s the best piece he ever wrote!), and the reception for Mihailo Trandafilovski’s exquisite ‘Diptych’ reminding us that challenging new music is not a thing for a select   audience of intiates. Here are some pictures from the afternoon. 

Dream team-Mihailo Trandafilovski, Morgan Goff, Rachel Meerloo, Jessica Hayes, Val Wellbanks, Diana Mathews, Aisha Orazbayeva, Midori Komachi, Preetha Narayanan, Alice Barron, Steven Crichlow, Annabelle Berthomé Reynolds under the wonderful Joanna Jones painting.

Peter raving about Mendelssohn-pre-concert event

Aisha, Morgan, Diana, Valerie, Jessica (Mendelssohn Octet)

The line up for 'Diptych', minus one!

Aisha, Preetha, Diana, Morgan, Diana, Valerie (Trandafilovski)

Miahilo in full flow!

Artist Joanna Jones installing her painting for the concert over the Wilton's Stage

Wednesday 6th June 730 pm Wilton’s Music Hall

‘Musicians at Work’

Morgan Goff playing Hindemith with a canvas by Hoyland, by Richard Bram

Kreutzer Quartet

Peter Sheppard Skærved & Mihailo Trandafilovski-Violins, Morgan Goff-Viola

With friends: Rachel Meerloo – Double Bass, Jessica Hayes & Val Wellbanks – Cellos, Diana Mathews – Viola, Aisha Orazbayeva, Midori Komachi, Preetha Narayanan, Alice Barron, Steven Crichlow, Annabelle Berthomé Reynolds – Violins

Artist – Joanna Jones

Programme

Felix Mendelssohn D minor Concerto (1822) (Original version)

Mihailo Trandafilovski Diptych 2011-2012 Dedicated to Richard Bram (World Premiere)

1. ‘Dance Ascent’

Interval

2. Song-Rotation

Felix Mendelssohn E flat Major Octet (1825)

Tonight’s concert is inspired by the Kreutzer Quartet’s long collaboration and friendship with American photographer Richard Bram. His unique vision, and particular sensibility for human interaction, whether in his acclaimed street photography or his ongoing series ‘Musicians at Work’ has long been, and continues to be a source of joy, as has his work with the quartet in rehearsals, touring and performing.

Work by Richard Bram-PSS with Howard Skempton RAM 2004 (Photo: Richard Bram)

Mihailo Trandafilovski’s celebratory ‘diptych’ is framed by the astounding works of the young Felix Mendelssohn, who was a graphic artist of startling vision.

Peter works with the Mendelssohn concerto manuscript-talk at the RAM Museum, 2011

So it is fitting, that our friend, painter Joanna Jones, has created a new work to be hung behind the stage for this concert. She writes:

… the motion of eyes following the forms and structures of a painting … repeat in different time and space the movements which created it … as it passes on some of its mystery, in its own language…

The Kreutzers are delighted to be joined by a wonderful collective of friends from all over the world. It is difficult to imagine more creative musicians, active in a bewilderingly variety of fields. They bring with them a range of energies, colour and virtuosity that has made the preparation for this concert pure pleasure.

Richard Bram's picture of the Kreutzers playing John Cage at Tate Modern

For more information and live recordings, go to: www.kreutzer-quartet.com

Composer Michael Rose in workshop with Annabelle Berthome Reynolds, Nashville. Photo: Richard Bram 2006

Extract from Song-Rotation Manuscript April 2012

Peter Sheppard Skærved with Mihailo Trandafilovski, Morgan Goff, Rachel Meerloo, Jessica Hayes, Val Wellbanks, Diana Mathews, Aisha Orazbayeva, Midori Komachi, Preetha Narayanan, Alice Barron, Steven Critchlow, Annabelle Berthomé Reynolds

Joanna Jones-Artist

Peter returns to Wilton’s Music Hall with a unique combination. Mihailo Trandfilovski, his colleague in the Kreutzer Quartet, is one of the most celebrated Balkan composer. His instrumental diptych is framed by the astounding Mendelssohn Octet, written when the composer was 16, and his 1822 D minor Concerto. This was his response to the baroque and classical orchestral works that his teacher, Carl Friedrich Zelter, was reviving in Berlin. Peter has reconstructed Mendelssohn’s first version of this piece.

A section of the new work for Wilton's by Joanna Jones