'The Jackson Duo’

Press, 7 September 1984, Page 4

'The Jackson Duo’

"The Jackson Duo — violin and classical guitar.” Museum Lecture Theatre, September 6. Running time: 8 p.m. to 9.50 pan. Reviewed by Gerrit Bahlman. The Museum Lecture Theatre was a surprisingly appropriate venue for the well crafted performance of the Jackson Duo. Acoustically the theatre enhanced the sense of intimacy and warmth generated by the pair. The programme was carefully designed to provide an overview of the repertoire available for the violin and classical guitar. Music was selected from the seventeenth to twentieth centuries with examples of various styles from Baroque and Renaissance to Brazilian and Gypsy influences. Inevitably the violin was dominant in many of the pieces chosen. Paganini’s “Sonata No. 2,” Locatelli’s baroque “Sonata in G major” and Otto Siegl’s “Sonatine in D major” all tended to favour the violin. Margaret Jackson’s comfortjble technique was not- :<» able 1 for the variety and ’ t

colour extracted from her instrument. The rich, heavy and lustrous sounds associated with Pablo De Sarasate’s “Gypsy Airs” provided one extreme, while the delicate moments of controlled stillness at the end of “Idyll for Violin and Guitar” by John Mills marked the other. This particular piece was written by John Mills especially for the pair in commemoration of their daughter’s birth and was reminiscent of the English pastoral style associated with Delius. The piece was written to fill a gap in the violin-guitar repertoire. The only example where the focus of the music was shared equally between guitar and violin was “Sonata in D major” by C. G. Scheidler. pie incorporation of three guitar solo pieces helped to restore the balance. The choices made by Miles Jackson were not designed to flatter his skill, nor was he intimidated by them. They were challenging and demanding. In the first part of the programme two pieces by Stepan Rak were

chosen. “Variations on a theme of Jaromir Klempir” was a seven-part variation on a sweet, evocative Renaissance theme. From touches of flamenco-like difficulty and the delicate use of guitar overtones to improvisational drifts out of key that placed Rak in a contemporary time frame, the piece gave an overview of Mr Jackson’s abilities. The second piece by Rak, “Remembering Prague,” was lyrical and nostalgic. Miles Jackson dealt with it simply and with feeling. In the second part of the programme the choice of four movements from Isaias Savio’s “Brazilian Suite” gave evidence of Mr Jackson's abilities with challenging rhythms and fingering techniques. The duo achieved a warm rapport with their audience. Smiling eye contact and moments of deliberate controlled stillness quickly established the intimate atmosphere. The care with which the programme was constructed and presented with the vivapious gypsy finish guaranteed ‘ a satisfied audienceF