A long-standing institution celebrates its 60th season in fine style
The Strad Issue: April 2025
Description: A long-standing institution celebrates its 60th season in fine style
Musicians: Nash Ensemble
Works: Debussy: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (arr. Walter); Violin Sonata; Cello Sonata; Sonata for flute, viola and harp; String Quartet
Catalogue number: HYPERION CDA68463
This crowd-pleasing Debussy disc may cover largely well-trodden ground, but it opens with an effective arrangement for twelve players by French oboist David Walter of the iconic Prélude. None of the individual essential tonal colours is missing, and the lack of sheer heft is countered by an increased intimacy, heightened interplay of the wind lines and a smoothing of the overall tonal continuum that suggests a continuous flow. The playing is suitably languorous, plus there is the luxury casting of Richard Benjafield for the scant but all-important crotales.
The violin and cello sonatas are both well played, but the latter, with Adrian Brendel and Simon Crawford-Phillips, has the edge in terms of flair and fantasy. Flautist Philippa Davies and violist Lawrence Power complement and blend with each other effortlessly in the Sonata for flute, viola and harp.
The String Quartet, given by Benjamin Nabarro, Jonathan Stone, Lars Anders Tomter and Adrian Brendel, is unsurprisingly dynamic, with tight ensemble and fevered expression in the first movement and plenty of bite to the pervasive pizzicato in the second. The third movement is affectingly internalised, but not introverted, marking it as the reflective soul of the work. Popular programming this may be, but with performances like these, no one is worse off for that.
EDWARD BHESANIA
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