Berkeley Ensemble 4th October 2021 Venue St. Augustine’s Church Map
The Beethoven celebrations of 2020 had given ample cause to programme the Beethoven Septet in last year’s unfortunately curtailed season. Nothing daunted and but a few months behind schedule here now is a performance of that work, a scintillating display of compositional fireworks, written to persuade his new public in Vienna of the young composer’s prowess.
In a typically imaginative way the Berkeley Ensemble have built up an inventive programme that begins with Knussen’s evocative piece for solo violin, Secret Psalm, increasing the number of instruments as the concert progresses until the full splendour of violin, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, horn and bassoon play together for Beethoven’s crowd-
‘…the high quality of the performances by the Berkeley Ensemble, a malleable group which plays as if it were truly inside the music.’
Sunday Telegraph
Oliver Knussen – Secret Psalm
Francis Poulenc – Sonata for Clarinet & Bassoon
Lennox Berkeley – String Trio
Carl Nielsen – Serenata in vano
Ludwig van Beethoven – Septet
Photo: Nigel Luckhurst
Sophie Mather – violin
Dan Shillada – viola
Gemma Wareham – cello
TBC – double bass
John Slack – clarinet
Andrew Watson – bassoon
Paul Cott – French horn