Wigmore Hall
Flute Sonata in A major, BWV
1032
Partita no.4 in D major, BWV
828
Violin Sonata no.6 in G
major, BWV 1019
Musical
Offering, BWV 1079: excerpts
Andrea Oliva (flute)
Julia Schröder (violin)
Angela Hewitt (piano)
There was much to enjoy in
this concert, and not only the rarity value of hearing Bach’s chamber music
with the piano rather than the harpsichord. There were, however, two distinct
disadvantages too – at least for me, though doubtless others will have felt
differently. First, Angela Hewitt’s Fazioli piano; one’s ears become accustomed
after a while, but I continue to find its brightness of tone both a little
wearing and, in certain music, somewhat inappropriate. Second was Julia
Schröder’s ‘period’-style playing. It was certainly not without vibrato, but
was often – though by no means always – pinched of tone and rather scratchy.
Perhaps the oddest thing was its variability, veering between styles for no
evident reason.
Flautist Andrea Oliva, by
contrast, showed himself possessed of a mellifluous tone and a true gift for
unforced, telling articulation and phrasing. It certainly consoled after the Technicolor
brightness of Hewitt’s introduction to the first movement of the Flute Sonata,
BWV 1032. Oliva proved admirably flexible, too, though Hewitt at times, both here
and elsewhere, seemed oddly unresponsive, as if intent on doing her ‘own thing’.
Nevertheless, there was considerable chiaroscuro from the flute to enjoy, and also,
as the movement went on, from the piano. An unhurried slow movement displayed a
fine sense of contrapuntal ‘involvement’, also apparent in the clarity and
direction of the finale. There was elegance, but strength too.
Hewitt had the stage to
herself for the D major Partita, BWV 828. A grand, declamatory opening seemed
more suited to her instrument, though darker hues at times would still have
been welcome. The ‘French’ style was, however, readily apparent, and the fugal
section of this first movement benefited from splendid evenness of tone. There
were, however, a few seemingly arbitrary cases of agogic mannerism. Again, the
piano tone sometimes seemed overly bright in the Allemande and Courante, but
there could be no complaints over the time taken, nor over the clarity and
subtlety of voicing. Intricacy was shown to be no mere decoration. The Air
received a bright, perky reading, similarly the concluding Gigue, possessed of
a strength born of security in both rhythm and harmony.
The Sonata for Violin and Keyboard,
BWV 1019, was played in lively fashion, rhythmically alert, if sometimes marred
by a mismatch of tone between Schröder and Hewitt. That became more of a
problem in the ensuing ‘Largo’: not entirely chilly but rather oddly mixed. The
solo piano ‘Allegro’ displayed a rare moment of technical fallibility for
Hewitt; the piano part is admittedly tricky. Otherwise, it received a
sophisticated but not-too-sophisticated performance. Hewitt’s dignified dynamic
tread in the ‘Adagio’ offered a relative darkness of sonority rarely heard
hitherto; Schröder’s pinched tone was rather more difficult to take. The finale
proved lively and more evenly matched.
Hewitt had the stage to herself
again for the two ricercars, in three and six parts, from the Musical Offering. Again, the instrument’s
tone proved something of a barrier to me, especially earlier on, but there was
splendid cumulative build-up in the celebrated six-part movement, which
interestingly sounded far more modernist (even straining towards Webern) than
its predecessor. The Trio Sonata had good balance, and the violin tone, if not
rich, was at least richer. Tempi were convincing, well founded upon Hewitt’s
rock-solid continuo. Oliva again proved himself a beguiling and highly
sensitive musician. The emergence of the Royal Theme in all parts during the ‘Andante’
showed wit as well as compositional ingenuity, and the finale benefited from
estimable dramatic thrust. This is music we hear far too infrequently.
