Skipton Music new season highlights

The first two concerts of Skipton Music's 2017/18 season maintained the high quality I have come to expect of the concert series.

First up in October was Doric String Quartet, with a programme of Mendelssohn, Thomas Adès and Haydn. The Adès, The Four Quarters (2011), was probably unknown to everyone except the quartet - but definitely worth investigating. The piece is in a classical string quartet model and follows the process of a day in time, comprising 4 movements: Nightfalls, Serenade: Morning Dew, Days and The Twenty-fifth Hour. I particularly liked Morning Dew - concurrently reminding me of early morning light hitting blades of grass, or morning commuters arriving in a big city imagined as colliding atoms. Days hat 'flap of the day' and 'mid-afternoon meander' aspects to it. The Mendelssohn (Quartet in E flat, Op, 12) and Haydn (String Quartet Op. 20 No. 5) were very enjoyable.

Fast forward a few weeks (feels like fast forward!!) to Trio Con Brio Copenhagen's performance. Another excellent evening. This time, the newest piece started the evening - a performance of Sven-David Sandström's Four Pieces (2012). This was not so understandable as the Adès piece from October - albeit within, lots of beautiful moments, stark icy coldness and lyrical song sections.

The Trio followed the Sandström piece with a very well known trio, Beethoven's Ghost - Trio in D Major Op. 70 No. 1. Excellent performance and a very contemplative rendition of the famous slow movement. No slacking after the interval - we were treated to an exuberant performance of Schubert's Trio No. 1 in B flat D898 - performance quality ever increasing. I particularly enjoyed the second and fourth movements.

In total contrast, the encore was the (I think) third movement from Dvořák's 'Dumky' trio (No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90, B. 166) - ending the evening on a reflective, calm mood. Resulting in very loud applause!!

In December it's definitely a festive focus with Joglaresa.

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