Reviews

Irish Times writers review Bishop, Pryn, RTÉ NSO/Markson at the National Concert Hall and Time Warp at the Pavilion

Bishop, Pryn, RTÉ NSO/Markson

NCH, Dublin

Michael Dervan

Mozart - Horn Concerto No 4. Raymond Deane - Violin Concerto. Dvorák - Symphony No 8.

The individual is usually the victor in the scenario of the concerto as the titanic struggle of soloist against orchestra. Raymond Deane turned this outcome on its head in his Oboe Concertoof 1994, and there were moments in his new Violin Concerto, premièred on Friday, in which the same balance of power prevailed.

But the new concerto, written for and premiéred in commanding style by the Danish violinist Christine Pryn, mostly stays in more conventional territory. In his pre-concert talk the composer mentioned an image, created by the conductor Gerhard Markson, of the soloist's disappearances beneath the obliterative power of the full orchestra being like journeys through a tunnel.

The four-movement concerto gives the solo violin plenty of meaty, angular writing, and also a special orchestral partner, the piano, which has a major role in the finale, mulling over material with the soloist in an extended dialogue. The tensions in this piece are those between statement and obliteration, between an A minorish obsession born out of a quotation from Schubert's Der Leiermann and a free-wheeling atonality, and between the stock gestures of concertos both old and modernist and the denial of the expectations those gestures engender.

Time Warp

Pavilion, Dun Laoghaire

Gerry Colgan

When hits from the rock musicals have acquired the patina of nostalgia, it's a sure sign that Father Time is breathing down the back of your neck, but never mind. There's life in the old tunes yet, as this tribute show amply illustrates.

A small band (two keyboards, two guitars and drums) provides the music behind three female singer-dancers and a gifted male lead singer. The musicians also chime in with backing and occasional front vocals. Together they make a mighty sound, sometimes strident but more often swinging to toe-tapping effect.

The old favourites naturally fare best, constituting a liberal selection from Hair (title song and Aquarius), Jesus Christ Superstar (the songs of Judas, Pilate and Magdalene), The Rocky Horror Show, Grease, Forbidden Planet, Little Shop of Horrors and various others. The band is lively and the singing good to excellent. Unimaginative choreography and some lack of precision downgrade the dancing.

Scharoun Ensemble

Law Society, Dublin

Martin Adams

Mozart - Clarinet Quintet. Schubert - Octet

Music in Ireland owes so much to the Limerick Music Association. For half a lifetime is has promoted concerts that set standards for others to follow. Many have. The concerts in Dublin on Thursday and Limerick on Friday were its last, (though the guiding lights, Dublin-based John and Doreen Ruddock, will continue to promote events). Like its first concert 36 years ago, its warm-hearted farewell was given by musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Scharoun Ensemble is a big name in contemporary music, as well as in the classical and romantic repertoire. For this short tour they had intended to present Dvorak's String Quintet Op. 77 and Schubert's Octet. However, the first violinist, Guy Braunstein, was taken ill.

So at just two days' notice he was replaced by Tim Vogler, of the Vogler Quartet; and the Dvorak was replaced by Mozart's Clarinet Quintet. Apart from a few inconsistencies of balance and intonation, one would hardly have known. These musicians love making music.