By Miranda Playfair, violin

The mood is buoyant, morale is high, the fizz of success is in the air. After many projects with Joshua Bell as soloist and director under our belt, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields this year took the bold step of appointing him as music director. This highly acclaimed musician from the States is the catalyst which will propel the orchestra further into the 21st century. The chamber music element is strong in this orchestra, and having a leader-director works on so many levels: the musicians must know the score as they would if playing a string quartet, the rhythm and propulsion is initiated by an audible lead and the musical telepathy is necessarily heightened without the end of a stick to follow – which leads to a higher level of awareness, musical thoughtfulness, spontaneity and sensitivity. Stylistically, the approach is historically aware but with a great technical finesse and sense of detail. These qualities have always existed in the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, but are now bubbling to the surface in a surge of unleashed energy.

Day 1 – London to New York
 


Last night’s live broadcast at Cadogan Hall in London is still dancing in my bones, restlessly and joyfully. After the Bruch Violin Concerto I almost expected our BBC presenter for the evening to catch us coming off stage at half time glistening with the heat of the moment, and like a sports presenter – microphone in hand – asking how we felt about the opening phrase, did the decrescendo at the coda work as we had hoped, was our new manager up to the job, what was the mood in the team for the second half, and the tempo of the Mozart symphony last movement, what about that searching misterioso tempo? Yes, no, maybe?

Playing with Josh is a visceral undertaking, sometimes primal. It is always physical and athletic. Joshua swings round to the strings and a palette of different facial expressions immediately signal what landscape or mood we must communicate. From a wild ‘to battle!’ look in the eye to a serene innocence, his body tilting and swaying. It’s all there to see, feel and lock into – always thoughtful, never aggressive. During longer more meditative musical phrases he closes his eyes and paints the space above the orchestra with his bow, switching from sitting to standing with effortless feline grace. The preparation and dedication is always striking, the intention genuine and unforced, the will and commitment compelling. He speaks firmly and gently to us, searching, experimenting, considering. Unconventional bowings abound, a constant challenge for the strings, and some of the violinists at Cadogan got caught occasionally throwing in an up-down instead of a down-down. Does the audience see this as a lapse of concentration on the part of the culprit or a sign of artistic independence? (L’indépendance!) It is irrelevant of course. The musical purpose is so felt and so well shared that being neat and tidy becomes secondary and communicating immediately and intensely is paramount. This is as it should be. Great artists who lift and stretch their fellow musicians and their audiences beyond the chair they are sitting in and beyond the notes on the page are in a minority. It is a privilege to know that the Academy of St Martin’s tradition of well-honed musicianship, wolf-like chamber music ears and beauty of sound that Sir Neville Marriner took such care to create, can now be at the disposal of another great master. Sir Neville’s spirit is never far away. His cunning smile, sharp wit and warmth knit us together come what may, wherever we are, and he will always be the Don, the Godfather, the High Priest to whom we owe the fun times, the banter, the excellence.

Today I am a deviant, flying solo to New York in advance of our enormously long three-week American tour. My suitcase only just made it down the stairs from my rooftop apartment, like a stubborn dog not wanting to go walkies. My violin will be reunited with the sound wizard Samuel Zygmuntowicz in Brooklyn, for some tweaking and tenderness. This operation is long overdue. Playing without a shoulder rest – riding symphony after symphony bareback – has taken its toll on the varnish. A nudge of the sound post à l’Américaine (‘more sound, I vant more sound!’) and a bit of a clean, and my violin will be revved and revived for the Beethoven-Bell tour.

We are invited to party at Joshua’s New York home next week. I hear the living room is styled with the curves of a Stradivarius. I hear it is a penthouse suite with a rooftop terrace where exotic birds and butterflies dance, the air is scented with mimosa and fawn-like creatures will be lounging with the lizards. I hear the sunset will be shades of Martian purple, and the ghost of King Kong will be waving in the distance. There is talk of George Clooney popping in to say hello, and of Woody playing us some of his clarinet jazz. Flying to New York will always be a Metro-Goldwyn adventure…

Midway. Day 15 – California


Usually on tour, midway means a lull. It means missing home, needing a hug, bus journey blues, and comfort food. Midway through this tour we hit the Hockney blue of California, Giacometti tall palm trees, mountains of lobster, a free day and the first truly great hotel for five entire nights of rare luxury. So appreciated.

A standing ovation at the Avery Fisher Hall

The audience reaction all tour has been nothing short of rock concert enthusiasm, with bejewelled wealthy patrons jumping up and down in the aisles and whoops of joy emitting from young and old. I have noticed riveted children: a contented youngster at a concert is a heart-warming sight. During the Beethoven Violin Concerto which Josh plays especially poetically, members of the audience sometimes react spontaneously after the first movement, like meerkats bobbing up for a moment to give a little shriek of pleasure. We appreciate all these outbursts even if they are sometimes unconventional in timing. A public must be allowed to express itself, and Josh lets them, although as alpha-meer, he sometimes holds the audience at bay, and we forge on from one movement to the next uninterrupted. Stray horsetail hairs are found by patrons in row A and picked up as souvenirs. Beethoven’s wild sense of joy and demand for punch and clarity causes the demise of many a freshly re-haired bow. We bow together to thank the audience, military precision never an option when the heart is racing, but the joint acknowledgement feels good.

Horse hair bow tie made from Joshua Bell's bow hairs by audience member Mark Kielb. "I presume that you have no idea how difficult it is to tie a bow with fragments of bow hair. However, the wild look thus achieved is probably more in fitting with the The Master’s true persona!"

Timpanist Adrian Bending. In rehearsal in Carmel.

After New York, Boston, Kentucky, Ann Arbor and LA, my time has come. The wait has been at once stressful and exciting. All of the first violins have been asked, one-by-one, to sit on the front stand with Joshua. Trepidation, optimism and a general flurry of support from the whole group makes the experience one to look forward to. Josh wants to get to know us and our playing, and we need to feel his energy close-up to be able to translate it wherever we sit when we rotate within the group. This added incentive has increased our attention to his fingerings, bow distribution and timing. With a player-leader, each member must both become the leader and shadow him. A challenging mix of discretion and initiative. A player-director necessarily moves a lot to activate all corners of the orchestra, from fourth horn one side to timpani and basses the other. The music on the stand is often obliterated, memory recall is crucial and page turning a long-distance endeavour! He also stops playing to occasionally wave the winds into collective action so his ‘right-hand man’ to his left, must carry on unruffled, naked without his silky sound to weave around, but confident nonetheless. We each have a few minutes of dress rehearsal to get used to our new seat, to the new hall and to our new deskie. Every detail affects comfort. Josh’s comfort is paramount and those of us who join him on front stand are acutely aware of this.

The really fun part is his energy. What a joy to give and take from someone so wrapped up in the moment, so fearless and so technically able. There is no hint of ego, not a scrap of bullishness. The music is everything, and that allows a desk partner to risk almost everything – as long as the senses are on full alert at all times. What really surprises me is his responsiveness to his stand partners. Even with all his responsibilities – clear leads, tempi, timing, shaping – he has time to play ‘with’ his desk partner, naturally responding to microscopic differences in feel, note lengths, volume or articulation, a touch less or more vibrato to match his new companion. I will treasure the Californian concert experience, my favourite moment when Josh has some fun with a bowing and plays several fast up-bows in a row as if to signal the lack of stress that comes from his unquestionable virtuosity. I bravely respond – though the risk is great. In the virtuosity ratings, Bell is dolphin, I am prawn. It is a luxury concert. To all have the opportunity to sit with Josh has brought us closer together as a group and melted away many of the inevitable barriers between leader and section player. Our new director is now aware of the many individual strengths in his group and what technical issues are worth discussing most in the future.

Coda

This tour has been emotional: each concert better than the last, each member more convinced than ever that pairing up with Joshua Bell is a masterstroke. The audiences were hungry for us and nothing can be more inspiring for performers. The roar of happy hands before you even start playing and the thunder of disbelief when you finish. Americans are famous for their unabashed and blustery expression when having fun, and it is sympathetic, unbridled, and contagious. Our affection and loyalty for the orchestra and each other is confirmed once more. Touring has rarely felt so good.

Violinist Miranda Playfair has lived in Britain, Norway and Malaysia, is a member of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, associate leader of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and a member of Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. She is a professor at the Royal Northern College of Music and runs a festival in Corsica focused on literature, visual arts and music, and the historic ties between Britain and Corsica.

 A Word from cellist John Heley…

San Francisco Concert

In a wine bar after concert, many people coming over to say how much they had enjoyed it- in particular one couple who were Season ticket holders at Davis Symphony Hall and had been for 15 years. They said it was the best concert they had ever heard, and that we produced more sound than the full SFSO.

Quite amazing tributes to ASMF and Josh methinks!!

“Bell’s lyrical approach…coupled with his uncommon sweetness of tone, was well matched by the orchestra. Poise, scrupulous balancing of instrumental textures and elegance of tone have always been trademark qualities of the Academy’s playing, and the silken response of the strings and supple voicing of the winds heard on Friday reminded us of just how fine this orchestra is. And, with hand-in-glove dovetailing of solo and orchestral lines, Bell was so at one with his fellow musicians, they seemed to be breathing together.”

Joe Banno, 15 April

Read full review here.

New York Times

“It is probably too soon to judge what Mr. Bell can bring to this orchestra. It has always been a sleek, precision ensemble with a warm, full sound, and it was so here. That said, Mr. Bell seemed an assured leader who knows what he wants and is intent on getting it. What he wanted in “Coriolan” was drama, something he achieved through stark dynamic contrasts and tense, hard-driven string lines.”

Allan Kozinn, 13 April

Read full review here.

Philadelphia Inquirer

“The ASMF deserves serious credit here: One rarely hears such airtight precision without a traditional conductor lording over the players – or so much personality…Mozart’s Symphony No.25…lunged at one’s ears with the best of two worlds: a strong overall conception, plus the kind of ensemble solidity that comes from mutual listening (as in string quartets).”

David Patrick Stearns, 17 April

Read full review here.

La Times

“A small orchestra sounded mighty, indeed… The encore was the opening movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 25, an ASMF calling card, and it was terrific…it sounded like a symphony with an unpredictable inner life.”

Mark Swed, 28 April

Read full review here.

Boston Classical Review

“The carefully rendered bassoon solo by Gavin McNaughton) in the finale stood out because the rest of the playing seemed woven from a chamber music cloth: ensemble work, incorporating the soloist, of the highest order. The audience, of course, responded with unbridled enthusiasm. Of note was the players’ response: after the concerto and after the symphony, the ensemble didn’t just give Bell the perfunctory waving of the bows, but nearly all of them put down their instruments and applauded heartily like the rest of the hall.”

Keith Powers, 16 April

Read full review here.

Boston Musical Intelligencer

“When the ensemble is the world-famed Academy of St Martin in the Fields, ensemble playing is remarkable and unparalleled when heard in context with other chamber-sized orchestras. By ensemble playing I mean an otherworldly togetherness, not just superb pitch matching but actual matching of timbres. Not just unanimity of attack, but of musical intent. Not just single-minded focus on individual detail, but the overall contribution each instrumentalist offers the organization at a particular time. In Sunday afternoon’s Boston Celebrity Series concert at Symphony Hall, pure magic was afoot and audible throughout the entire all-Beethoven program….One left the hall exhilarated, moved, and amazed. THIS is what a live concert should be all about.”

John Ehrlich, 17 April

Read full review here.

AnnArbor.com

“The mutual admiration was palpable between players and leader…that affection translated into vivid performances, filled with a sense of dialogue among the instruments, whether Bell led from within the orchestra or from the soloist’s spot…. And if the strings, taking a cue from Bell, played like Gods, so did the brass and winds—the colors were glorious and glowing, and, in the case of the brass, unretiring in a most becoming way.”

Susan Isaacs Nisbett, 23 April

Read full review here.

Santa Barbara Independent

“One could hardly ask for a more precise or more passionate reading of the great Beethoven Symphony No. 7. The second movement allegretto was warm and lush, while the finale was a gloriously kinetic celebration. An audience member next to me leapt to her feet at the end of it and emitted an inadvertent shriek of delight. Now that’s what I call a good reception.”

Charles Donelan, 30 April

Read full review here.

Las Vegas Review-Journal

“After a stately start (to Beethoven 4), the ensemble took flight – and, whether delivering both sprightly melodies and more soulful passages, Bell and the ensemble found an ideal balance between elegant assurance and impassioned intensity.”

Carol Cling, 30 April

Read full review here.

Geoff Brown

****

“They play with a sharp attack, a rhythmic punch and a new joy in living. Quick proof arrived with Mozart’s Symphony No.25, which leapt upon us, assertive, resilient, textures clean ensemble articulation super-crisp.”

“Beethoven’s Symphony No 4, the start of a planned symphony cycle, came at us with even more brio. The release of tension after the first movement’s lugubrious introduction could have fuelled a rocket to the Moon. So could the scherzo’s surging drive, the finale too- each punched home with the brisk, clinching chords only possible with modest forces tightly controlled.”

“Bruch’s No 1, an old friend, was dispatched with its singing tunes and double-stopped finery sparkling in the air. Bell reached the silver gleam at the top of the acrobatic opening phrase without any sweat; yet his fluency never became mechanical. Cadenza flourishes contained genuine fire; his adagio wept but avoided the sentimental. And the Academy kept pace beautifully. A new golden age might be here.”

The Independent, 8 April 2012

Anna Picard

“The orchestra has been so good for so long that it is in danger of being taken for granted…its sound is as clear and true as it was 30 years ago, its phrasing a little sharper and crisper.”

“Listen to today’s ASMF and it is apparent that each section of the orchestra not only knows its part but knows the parts of the other sections and how they interact.”

“Seated in the leader’s chair, Bell set a smart pace for Mozart’s Little G Minor Symphony (K183), all razored strings and throaty horns, with a verdant trio in the choppy minuet.”

Read the full review here.

The Guardian, 6 April 2012

Guy Dammann

****

“Mozart’s “little” G minor symphony was performed in the Academy’s ‘period-enhanced’ style – sawed bows and layered dynamics, but with great finesse and smoothness in the phrasing.”

“The ubiquitous strains of Bruch’s first concerto were bathed in energy and an expressiveness which, while exquisitely turned, was never less than wholesome.”

“It was in Beethoven’s fourth symphony, however, that the partnership really came alive…the tension and balance were just electric. There was no grand design, just a total immersion in the apparent spontaneities of the music, the orchestra fizzing on a heady cocktail of poise and passion – proof, finally, that Bell’s direction could carry the Academy into the 21st century.”

Read the full review here.

Classical Source, 6 April 2012

Colin Anderson

“Fast-forward a couple of seasons and all nine Beethoven symphonies will have been given by Bell and his new charges. It’s an intriguing prospect given that the Fourth was impressive. Best were the middle movements, an Adagio of lyrical beauty with felicitous woodwind-playing and then a virile scherzo with beguiling trio…indeed the playing was superbly unanimous and poised, even machine-like.”

“Opening the evening was Mozart 25. Here the spanking pace for the first movement was exhilarating while leaving room for Christopher Cowie’s oboe solos to be lingeringly expressive, which also suited the slow movement, gently done.”

“(The Bruch Violin Concerto) showed the ASMF’s musicians’ total commitment and security…and their response to Bell’s shapely and silvery-sounded account (with a not-unwelcome astringency to the tone) that conjured a sublime Adagio and vivacious finale. Here and in the Beethoven, Adrian Bending’s timpani-playing was a model of clarity and modulation (a perfect successor, if he is, to the great Tristan Fry).”

“There’s no doubt that Joshua Bell and the Academy have something and are on to something; the sell-out audience (including Alan Gilbert, New York Philharmonic music director) would agree.”

Read the full review here.

“Highlights include Jan Lundgren’s The Seagull, solo trumpet ruminating over Lynda Houghton’s pizzicato bass, and a dark reading of Weill’s beautiful Speak Low. The mood is nocturnal, elegiac. The most tasteful crossover disc I’ve heard in ages.”

Graham Rickson

Arts Desk, 2012

Read the interview here.

Joshua will next be performing in London with the Academy on 5 April at Cadogan Hall, find the details here.

“Schon nach den ersten Takten von Michail Glinkas Ouvertüre zu ‘Ruslan und Ljudmila’ war klar: Hier wird auf höchstem Niveau musiziert. Die Streicherpartien können rasant sein, wie sie wollen. Sie sind stets von frappierender Einmütigkeit. Den Holzbläsersatz zeichnet erlesene Noblesse aus, während den vier Hornisten ein derart suggestiver Verschmelzungsgrad gelingt, dass auch die zartesten Passagen einnehmend präsent geraten und den Gesamtklang des Orchesters mit bezaubernder Patina überziehen.”

“Man wird lange warten müssen, bis Dvoraks Neunte in solch vollendeter Manier den Bielefeldern erneut geboten wird.”

 Bielefeld-Mitte, 23 January 2012

“The first few bars of Michail Glinkas overture to “Ruslan und Ludmilla” made it immediately clear: this is music at its finest. The string parts can be as fast-paced as they please, they are always played with striking unanimity. The wind section is characterized by an extraordinary elegance, while the voices of the four horns merge to such a degree that even the most delicate passages are rendered with an engaging strength and lends a magical gloss to the tone of the entire orchestra.”

“The people of Bielefeld face a long wait to hear Dvorak’s ninth played at such a degree of perfection once again.”

Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, 24 January 2012

“Die Auftrittsqualität des Orchesters ist superb…Diese glasklase, schlanke Präzision und Brillianz, die wie mit der Nadel gezogenen Streicherläufe, die gelassenen Punktlandungen der Bläser- das alles ist wunderbar und, zumindest auf dieses Repertoire bezogen, kaum besser zu machen.”

Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, 24 January 2012

“The standard at which this orchestra plays is superb…they have a crystal clear precision and brilliance. The string parts are as exact as if they had been played with the tip of a needle, the wind and brass play with a serene accuracy. Their performance is marvellous and, certainly for this repertoire, could hardly be improved upon.”

Kölnische Rundschau, 24 January 2012

“Sir Neville Marriner ist auch mit 87 noch jung…Bei Sir Neville gibt es keinen gebremsten Alterstil. Ein wirbelndes Klarinetten-Themasofort Fahrt aufnimmt. Ein Bravo dem agilen Academy-solisten.”

“Insgesamt verzauberte die Interpretation durch reiche Klanggebung, wobel der aparte Kontrast von Frische und Melancholie ausgewogen präesentiert wurde.”

Kölnische Rundschau, 24 January 2012

“Sir Neville Marriner is 87 years young and shows no sign of slowing down with age. A swirling clarinet melody picks up speed without hesitation. The skilful Academy soloists deserve warm congratulation.

“Their performance enchanted the audience with rich sonority which nevertheless managed to convey the striking contrast between freshness and melancholy.”

Westdeutsche Zeitung, 19 January 2012

“Darbietung besitzt jenen Grad an Profil und wahrhaftigem Gefühl, bei dem der Hörer den Eindruck bekommt, als höore er alles neu. Von solcher Charakterstärke ist die Musizierweise der Academy.”

“Vor allem das melancholische Largo mit sienem Englischhorn-Solo zog in den Bann. Wie im Finalsatz ein Kulminationspunkt erreicht und wieder verlassen wird, wie Tempo und Dynamik in einer wundervollen Phrase zurückgenommen warden – das ist große Kunst.”

Westdeutsche Zeitung, 19 January 2012

“The orchestra’s performance conveys such a degree of variety and true feeling that the listener has the impression of hearing the music for the first time. This is the strength of character with which the Academy plays.”

“The melancholic largo with its cor anglais solo transfixes the listener. The way the final movement reaches its culmination and disappears, the way tempo and dynamics are restrained in a single, beautiful phrase – this is performance at its highest degree.”

Neue Ruhrzeitung, Essen, 24 January 2012

“Löste helle Begeisterung beim Publikum aus durch den Elan und das unverwechselbar präsente, kristallklare Klangbild der Academy, deren mittig als Block platzierte Bläsergruppe den Hörer geradezu ansprang.”

“Marriner betonte in geschmeidigen Tempi und wenig ausbremsenden Ritardandi den dramatischen Schub und die Struktur des weitschweifigen Werkes mit ihren satzübergreifenden, einschmelzenden Themen.”

Neue Ruhrzeitung, Essen, 24 January 2012

“The Academy was the source of delighted enthusiasm with its vigour and unmistakably present, crystal clear tone whose wind section in their very midst appeared ready to pounce at the audience at any moment.”

“In smooth tempo sections and ritardando passages which provided little deceleration, Marriner accentuated the dramatic impetus and structure of the diverse work with its overlapping, merged themes.”

Translation by Sarah Marks

Listen to Leon’s podcast here.

Tickets £8-£22

Box Office: 020 7766 1100 www.smitf.org

“Mozart’s symphony in A major KV 201 provided a classical, most definitely conservative sound ideal as a meeting point, which they interpreted with eminent liveliness and dynamic brilliance.”

Stuttgarter Nachrichten 2012 (about Julia Fischer):

“Carried by the Academy, she played her solos with incredibly pointed, exact phrasing and impressive eloquence”

Translation by Sarah Marks

By Stephen Buck, Concerts and Education Volunteer

Over the last couple of months, since I started volunteering with the orchestra, I have been involved with the Garden Music Project. When I started with the project, the students had just been to visit Valentines Mansion and Gardens and the first workshop I was involved in was where the students started to make their electronic instruments. The instruments they created drew inspiration from the different stimuli they had observed in the garden such as light, moisture and touch. The instruments translated the effects of these stimuli through specific sensors to create or manipulate sounds. In these workshops I was shocked by just how easy it was to create these simple and cheap instruments. I’m sure that the computer programme the electronics where going through was far beyond my comprehension- but the physical part of it was so gratifyingly simple to make and use, and you could tell that the kids who had never really played an instrument found this immediacy really enjoyable too.

The next sessions the students had a couple of weeks later explored the things they had observed and noted in their journals on their garden visit. The first of these workshops was with Akhila (our visual artist) and the second was with members of the orchestra. With Akhila they produced works to be used in the film to accompany the performance at Kings Place, you can see from the video how impressive this was. In the workshop with members of the orchestra, the students explored the various sounds the instruments could make (both conventional and unconventional). Many of them had never seen an orchestra instrument before so it was great to see them so engaged in the sounds they were producing and giving creative direction to the musicians by producing graphic scores to be interpreted and played there and then.

In the final workshop, the students combined all the elements from their previous sessions. By using the instruments they had helped to create in their first session, they composed a piece which both complimented and manipulated sounds produced by the orchestras musicians and some sounds that had been recorded on the visit to the mansion and garden. All the time the creative ideas for the work were coming from the ideas they had picked up on their visit to the garden. I think this was probably the most challenging workshop for the students as they were coming at it from a background with little or no experience of classical music and yet were required to structure and perform a work which some used unusual sounds and ideas. I do think it took some of them a while to really get into it but when they did, it was great seeing these kids with no previous knowledge of orchestral music and instruments making creative decisions and asking the players to do things which were really effective but often even the musicians wouldn’t have thought of doing- in this respect the students weren’t the only ones learning something.

While I knew what to expect from the performance at Kings Place, having been involved in the workshops leading up to it, I was still really impressed by the finished article. The different groups all came together, each offering something completely different and original and yet as a work it really successfully linked together, even more so thanks to the stunning video that had been created from the student’s artwork.

Watch the Garden Music film here.