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Chromatico Finals Concert St. John's Church, Notting Hill, London, W11 2NN
This was a stimulating, if overlong, concert of mainly new and very new music. The centre, and star, Most of the composers were present, and Christina Athinodorou conducted the (for me) most interesting piece, SPNM's shortlisted composer Roberto Rusconi's Chalong Temple, linked to his interest in the later spectralists. Of the others, most substantial and impressive were two very contrasting works for solo violin, Vanneschi's Melopea ii and Athinodorou's Aosmon. The former exploited extended techniques convincingly and the latter, a near half-hour work in a number of movements, did so too in a context which recalled the glories of nineteenth century violin playing, with gorgeous tone and avoidance of deliberate 'ugliness'; if Dizdari had been wanting to sell her fine Cerruti (Cremona) instrument, Aosmon would have demonstrated its potential to perfection. Several of the works badly needed introductions from the composers, with elucidation of their inscrutable titles. Bushra El-Turk's noisy, hell for leather perpetuum mobile ended the proceedings, and expressed her notion of Rapture in 3 minutes... The programme, a part of Notting Hill's Mayfest, was thoroughly prepared and the playing of international quality, attracting a good sized new-music audience to this excellent venue. Peter Grahame Woolf
A wide ranging and valuable promo-CD - with a splendid cover picture ! - has been received from Bushra El-Turk, which puts into perspective her music which draws upon her Lebanese origins and influences, and includes Une Marionette Desincarnée which, in a recent concert at St John's Smith Square, prompted us to in cover this Mayfest concert. A composer to watch.
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