Click this link to join us on Wednesday evening 29 July, online at 6:30pm for a 30 minute event, including a quick conversation with the artists. This will take you straight through to a Zoom conference in watch/listen mode.
Click here for the recording on Vimeo. Their exclusive performance has been recorded in advance. The recording will be available for seven days from the concert start time.
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Thank you very much for your enthusiasm for chamber music and your support for all those who make it possible. We are planning for concerts to be broadcast or recorded in King Charles church again this autumn, and look forward to welcoming you to a live concert in person as soon as that is possible!
PROGRAMME NOTES
Telemann Canonic Sonata No. 1
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) ranked among the most successful composers during his lifetime, completely overshadowing J. S. Bach whose music was not fully appreciated until some years after his death. George Frederick Handel once said of Telemann that he could write a work in eight parts as easily as anyone else could write a letter. The six Canonic Sonatas are a collection originally entitled "Six Canons or Sonatas for two German Flutes or two Violins, Compos'd by Georg Philip Telemann." Each movement of these sonatas is a two-part canon in which both musicians play precisely the same lines, one bar apart.
Rebecca Clarke – Lullaby from Two Pieces for Viola and Cello
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) was an English viola player who had a worldwide career as a soloist and chamber musician, performing with the most well-known musicians of the time, including Pablo Casals and Artur Rubinstein. She formed an all-female chamber ensemble, The English Ensemble, who performed all over Europe and is recognised as one of the viola’s greatest exponents, both as a player and as a composer. Debussy is often mentioned as an influence, as well as her friends Bloch and Ravel. The two pieces for viola and cello were composed in 1918 and premiered by Clarke and the cellist May Mukle a year later in New York’s Aeolian Hall.
Shostakovich – Prelude from 5 pieces for 2 violins and piano
These five pieces were collected and arranged for two violins and piano by Lev Atovmyan, a friend and assistant to Shostakovich, with the composer’s permission. The lush, almost Brahmsian Prelude is taken from Shostakovich’s score to the 1955 film The Gadfly, in which the famous Romance can also be heard.
Beethoven – Duet “With Two Eyeglasses Obligato”
Beethoven wrote this duet around 1796-7, but it was published only in 1912. Most certainly he wrote it for his friend and cello player Baron Nikolaus Zmeskall von Domanovec. Beethoven played the viola so it’s very likely that he intended the duo for them to play together. Nikolaus Zmeskall was one of the first people Beethoven met when arriving in Vienna. He was secretary in the Hungarian Chancellery and remained Beethoven’s friend all his life. He was a skilled amateur cello player and composer. In one of Beethoven’s letters he apparently teases Zmeskall for his short-sightedness, saying “je vous suis bien obligé pour votre faiblesse des votre yeux” (“I am most obliged for the weakness of your eyes”), and this could be the reason for the title “Eyeglass Duet” as it has become known.
Rachel studied with Leonid Gorokhov at the Royal College of Music and performed in master classes with Stephen Isserlis, Raphael Wallfisch and Mstislav Rostropovich. Since graduating in 2002 Rachel has pursued a busy freelance career in London. She has worked regularly with a variety of ensembles and orchestras including The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Rachel toured for several years with English Touring Opera and the Carl Rosa Opera Company as solo cello. As a chamber musician Rachel has performed in some of the UKs most prestigious venues including St Martin in the Fields, Queen Elizabeth Hall, St James Piccadilly, National Gallery, Conway Hall and the music room at the V&A museum. She gave the world premiere of Nicola Moro’s composition War: eight poems by Harold Pinter and has also performed in art exhibitions including collaborations with Turner Prizewinner Martin Creed.
As a recording artist Rachel’s solo projects have included several recordings for BBC Radio, including collaborating with playwright Joanna Lawrence for Radio 3’s “The Wire” and she appeared as solo cello on the soundtrack to Radio 4’s production of Les Miserables. Recent solo engagements have included performances of Vivaldi concertos with Ensemble Precioso d’Alsace in Strasbourg and Coswiller, France.
As well as pursuing an active performing career Rachel is committed to teaching and education. She has held teaching posts at leading schools including Stowe School and has been involved in educational projects with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Philharmonia. She currently teaches cello at Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School. Rachel performs on a George Crask cello made in the mid 19th Century.
Martin studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and as a student was the recipient of the Rachel Godlee Memorial Prize for Viola as well as being awarded all the available prizes for chamber music. He studied chamber music with musicians including Vilmos Tatrai, Alexander Baillie and Shmuel Ashkenasi and Richard Young of the Vermeer Quartet.
Upon graduating he took up a position with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. This was followed by an appointment to the Royal Northern Sinfonia. During his time at the orchestra he was involved in frequent chamber music projects with other Principal members of the orchestra as well as small scale concerts with such artists as Heinz Holliger, Thomas Zehetmair, Ruth Killius, Christian Zacharias, Nikolai Demidenko and Heinrich Schiff including performances in the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. He also performed as soloist with the orchestra.
Since leaving Royal Northern Sinfonia in 2007 he has led a busy and diverse career based in London. Frequently in demand as a Guest Principal he has performed with orchestras including RTE Concert Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, London Musical Arts Orchestra, Mozart Festival Orchestra, Lancashire Sinfonietta, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Philharmonia and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He was recently invited to join La Folia, Orchestre de Chambre d’Alsace and has performed with the Soloists of the Philharmonia. More recently he has focused on chamber music and solo work, performing throughout the UK and Europe.
Recent solo performances have included the Kings Lynn and Stratford Festivals and he has performed world premieres of works by composers including Brian Elias and Howard Blake. Concerto performances have included Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 6.
Martin held a teaching position at Wycombe Abbey School for several years and has taken part in education projects for the Philharmonia Orchestra. Having a young family, he now teaches in Tunbridge Wells and privately at his home in East Sussex. He performs on a viola by Mark Robinson which he commissioned in 1987.
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