Sonatas and Arrangements: Matthew Jones viola & Michael Hampton piano Blackheath Halls, 22 October 2003

Johann Sebastian Bach /Kodaly: Chromatic Fantasia for solo viola
Rebecca Clarke Sonata in E minor for viola & piano (1919)
Paul Hindemith Sonata in F for viola & piano, Op.11 No.4
Darius Milhaud /Levy: Saudades do Brasil Leme & Ipanema
Sergey Prokofiev /Borisovski: Romeo and Juliet - excerpts (for viola and piano)

Hats off to Kodaly, Levy, Borisovsky - and Trent!

This event was the first airing of a recital programme to be repeated in Birmingham and on South Bank next month. Matthew Jones has many strings to his bows; established violist, violinist, composer, Alexander and Yoga teacher also. He is an impressive player, economical of his movements in contrast with his charismatic teacher Rivka Golani, who thows herself around on the platform alarmingly, without parting company from her specially designed asymmetric viola.

The arrangements were the best part of this programme, the piano parts skilfully reflecting the mellow quality of the viola, an instrument too easily overwhelmed. Kodaly made the Chromatic Fantasia (no fugue) convincing for the viola; I was reminded of the music teacher at my school who regularly played a prelude from the 48 at morning assembly, but declined to offer us any of the fugues. A couple of the Saudades were delicious and the Romeo & Juliet music once again confirmed its strength in any guise. But they should play Death of Juliet to end, not Mercutio.

Anthony Trent was the pseudonym under which Rebecca Clarke offered her prize-winning sonata of 1919; her cover was blown afterwards to general amazement that the composer was 'a mere woman'. It is a strong work, now familiar in the repertoire, but Michael Hampton was too relentlessly assertive on the Bösendorfer; a 10% reduction of tone in the louder and virtuosic parts would share the audience's attention more fairly. The same problem was noticeable in the heavily scored early Hindemith sonata, published in the same year, began as a tribute to Debussy upon his death in 1918; its main part is a long series of ingenious variations. That reservation apart, this was a well chosen recital programme, enjoyed in the informal setting (at candle-lit tables) of Blackheath's congenial recital room.