Michael Lee, Goldenplec Magazine, 19th April 2017
Ficino Ensemble at the Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle, on 15 April 2017
Today the Ficino Ensemble is back in the centre of Dublin, playing a typically eclectic mix within the broad umbrella that is the MusicTown Festival. The Chapel Royal, that fabulous neo-gothic extravagance that no-one quite knows what to do with, provides the setting.
The oddly dry acoustic of the chapel can make it a tricky place for singers, but for an instrumental group like this it’s a good space, and they produce a full, clear sound—and this is just as well, with Philip Glass’ String Quartet No. 3 as the opening item. A piece like this turns on subtle shifts in colour and tone, and needs clarity and precision, which we certainly get. The four lines mingle and flow transparently, the gentle warmth of the string tone a nice counterbalance to the trancelike coolness of Glass’ familiar style.
After the insistent patterning of Glass’ minimalism, the four string players (Elaine Clark, Lynda O’Connor (violins), Nathan Sherman (viola), and Ailbhe McDonagh (cello)) turn to the riper textures of William Walton’s String Quartet in A minor. A fluidly organic piece, somehow suggesting a much larger frame, it draws some intensely engaged playing. The ensemble works together beautifully, creating a bright and febrile sound, clearly relishing the work’s innate theatricality.
Inevitably, though, the main draw of today’s programme is the closing piece, the Clarinet Quintet by Johannes Brahms, for which the string players are joined by clarinettist Macdara Ó Seiradáin. Far from being off the beaten track, this piece is well-known and much-loved for some, and it receives an affectionate performance here. One of Brahms’ many strengths is his innate feeling for lyrical melody, and Ó Seiradáin responds to the opportunities in this music beautifully, creating an almost vocal smoothness and expression with his playing. Together, the group bring across the work’s wistful mixture of nostalgia and sunshine with gentle assurance, and there are many moments to savour. It is certainly good to hear the Ficino Ensemble develop in a performance like today’s concert; here’s hoping a recording project will follow soon.
Programme:
Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 3 ‘Mishima’
William Walton: String Quartet in A minor
Johannes Brahms: Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115
Michael Dungan, The Sunday Times, 31st January 2016
Ficino Ensemble at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Sundays@Noon series on 24 January
The Beethoven Trio's "foretaste of symphonic glories to come was delivered by the Ficino with style and panache"
Michael Lee, Goldenplec Magazine, 31st May 2015
Ficino Ensemble at Dublin Unitarian Church on 24 May 2015
A musician-led enterprise, formed with the aim of performing out-of-the way or unjustly neglected works, the Ficino Ensemble’s programme is certainly intriguing. György Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles for wind quintet (flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn) get things started snappily. These short, close-knit pieces demand much of the ensemble, and the five work together brilliantly, with some smart and incisive playing. The musicians clearly relish this material, with its constantly shifting – at times zany – palette of rhythms and sonorities.
Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs involve an eclectic ensemble of viola, cello, harp, flute, clarinet, and percussion (he was keen to get away from the piano), evoking the raw sound-worlds of traditional folk ensembles. This combination also explains why it’s not often heard, despite the music’s accessibility. Mezzo-soprano Norah King relays the different moods – and cultural idioms – of the eleven songs with singing of real beauty and variety of expression, and a rich depth of tone when needed. The varying combinations of instruments for each song add an extra dimension, ranging from earthy strings to the otherworldly effects of string harmonics and percussion. The last song, an untitled Azerbaijani love-song, brings the set to a close with pungent wit and gusto, leaving you wanting more.
After these bitty modern pieces, the length and style of Brahms’ first String Sextet provides quite a change of mood and rhythm. The combination of two each of violins, violas and cellos is an attractive alternative to the conventional string quartet. There is excellent ensemble playing, with wonderful moments of interplay between different combinations within the group. The emotional core of the work comes in the second movement, with the driven intensity of the theme-and-variations led from the violas. Within its spirals of despair there are also hints of folk colour, even a hurdy-gurdy, giving a nice link to the Berio. After a buoyant scherzo, the sextet round out the finale with vibrant, lyrical playing. An ensemble worth looking out for.
Programme:
Ligeti: Six Bagatelles (1953)
Berio: Folk Songs (1964) – with Norah King, mezzo-soprano
Brahms: Sextet No. 1 in B-flat, Op. 18
The Ficino Ensemble: Elaine Clarke, Sebastian Liebig (violin); Nathan Sherman, Fergal Ó Dornáin (viola); Tue Tang, Eoin Quinlan (cello); Sinead Farrell (flute/piccolo); Macdara Ó Seireadáin (clarinet); Matthew Manning (oboe); John Hearne (bassoon); Cuan Ó Seireadáin (French horn); Geraldine O’Doherty (harp); Chris Stynes, Caitriona Frost (percussion)
Ficino Ensemble at the Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle, on 15 April 2017
Today the Ficino Ensemble is back in the centre of Dublin, playing a typically eclectic mix within the broad umbrella that is the MusicTown Festival. The Chapel Royal, that fabulous neo-gothic extravagance that no-one quite knows what to do with, provides the setting.
The oddly dry acoustic of the chapel can make it a tricky place for singers, but for an instrumental group like this it’s a good space, and they produce a full, clear sound—and this is just as well, with Philip Glass’ String Quartet No. 3 as the opening item. A piece like this turns on subtle shifts in colour and tone, and needs clarity and precision, which we certainly get. The four lines mingle and flow transparently, the gentle warmth of the string tone a nice counterbalance to the trancelike coolness of Glass’ familiar style.
After the insistent patterning of Glass’ minimalism, the four string players (Elaine Clark, Lynda O’Connor (violins), Nathan Sherman (viola), and Ailbhe McDonagh (cello)) turn to the riper textures of William Walton’s String Quartet in A minor. A fluidly organic piece, somehow suggesting a much larger frame, it draws some intensely engaged playing. The ensemble works together beautifully, creating a bright and febrile sound, clearly relishing the work’s innate theatricality.
Inevitably, though, the main draw of today’s programme is the closing piece, the Clarinet Quintet by Johannes Brahms, for which the string players are joined by clarinettist Macdara Ó Seiradáin. Far from being off the beaten track, this piece is well-known and much-loved for some, and it receives an affectionate performance here. One of Brahms’ many strengths is his innate feeling for lyrical melody, and Ó Seiradáin responds to the opportunities in this music beautifully, creating an almost vocal smoothness and expression with his playing. Together, the group bring across the work’s wistful mixture of nostalgia and sunshine with gentle assurance, and there are many moments to savour. It is certainly good to hear the Ficino Ensemble develop in a performance like today’s concert; here’s hoping a recording project will follow soon.
Programme:
Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 3 ‘Mishima’
William Walton: String Quartet in A minor
Johannes Brahms: Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115
Michael Dungan, The Sunday Times, 31st January 2016
Ficino Ensemble at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Sundays@Noon series on 24 January
The Beethoven Trio's "foretaste of symphonic glories to come was delivered by the Ficino with style and panache"
Michael Lee, Goldenplec Magazine, 31st May 2015
Ficino Ensemble at Dublin Unitarian Church on 24 May 2015
A musician-led enterprise, formed with the aim of performing out-of-the way or unjustly neglected works, the Ficino Ensemble’s programme is certainly intriguing. György Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles for wind quintet (flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn) get things started snappily. These short, close-knit pieces demand much of the ensemble, and the five work together brilliantly, with some smart and incisive playing. The musicians clearly relish this material, with its constantly shifting – at times zany – palette of rhythms and sonorities.
Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs involve an eclectic ensemble of viola, cello, harp, flute, clarinet, and percussion (he was keen to get away from the piano), evoking the raw sound-worlds of traditional folk ensembles. This combination also explains why it’s not often heard, despite the music’s accessibility. Mezzo-soprano Norah King relays the different moods – and cultural idioms – of the eleven songs with singing of real beauty and variety of expression, and a rich depth of tone when needed. The varying combinations of instruments for each song add an extra dimension, ranging from earthy strings to the otherworldly effects of string harmonics and percussion. The last song, an untitled Azerbaijani love-song, brings the set to a close with pungent wit and gusto, leaving you wanting more.
After these bitty modern pieces, the length and style of Brahms’ first String Sextet provides quite a change of mood and rhythm. The combination of two each of violins, violas and cellos is an attractive alternative to the conventional string quartet. There is excellent ensemble playing, with wonderful moments of interplay between different combinations within the group. The emotional core of the work comes in the second movement, with the driven intensity of the theme-and-variations led from the violas. Within its spirals of despair there are also hints of folk colour, even a hurdy-gurdy, giving a nice link to the Berio. After a buoyant scherzo, the sextet round out the finale with vibrant, lyrical playing. An ensemble worth looking out for.
Programme:
Ligeti: Six Bagatelles (1953)
Berio: Folk Songs (1964) – with Norah King, mezzo-soprano
Brahms: Sextet No. 1 in B-flat, Op. 18
The Ficino Ensemble: Elaine Clarke, Sebastian Liebig (violin); Nathan Sherman, Fergal Ó Dornáin (viola); Tue Tang, Eoin Quinlan (cello); Sinead Farrell (flute/piccolo); Macdara Ó Seireadáin (clarinet); Matthew Manning (oboe); John Hearne (bassoon); Cuan Ó Seireadáin (French horn); Geraldine O’Doherty (harp); Chris Stynes, Caitriona Frost (percussion)