Hard to follow

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 6

Hard to follow

By

C. FOSTER BROWNE

ii There was not as large an|; audience as is usual at the;; Wednesday at One recital inj; the Arts Centre when An- ; I thony Ferner (flute), fan Fai- , loon (oboe). Keith Spragg i (clarinet), Liam Gill (basisoon). and John Lire (horn) played Schoenberg’s Quintet 'for Wind Instruments, Op. 26. This was a noteworthy performance, making an important and creditable mark in the record of this group’s : achievements. Dobbs Franks conducted' 'the performance and this, must have been reassuring. [ for should a player momen-i: ; tarily become lost in this complexity he would have to* be shot to prevent him fromi; starving to death. The work, written accord-p ;ing to the •twelve-note-row”;; svstem of harmonic and! melodic creation, is not easy'i

| to follow, and it would not. j be fair to attempt a detailed 1 (appreciation at a first hearting “Least said bassoonist • mended” seems the best policy, and that is no reflection on Mr Gill’s playing of his instrument. There could be no doubt that the work had pliable strength in construction, with instrumental flexibility in tonal colourings and expression; and in these mat-' ters the players served the] composition well. Contrastsj I in textures were brought out! I clearly and attractively, and] | the atmospheres of each] | movement were clearly deIfined. The players kept bal-] lance in weight of playing,] land the shapeliness of I phrasing was made clear! ’through subtle nuances. On; isuch a hot day, all con-] icerned earned a siesta —] I that most civilised of Euro-! 'pean customs.