On the Road – Matthew Barley at the CIT Cork School of Music, February 12th 2015

Tonight the Cork Orchestral Society welcomes renowned British cellist Matthew Barley to the CIT Cork School of Music for a solo cello recital. Without further ado Matthew strides on stage with his cello, nods and smiles politely to the audience before addressing them. At first glance the programme entitled ‘On the Road’, seems to have little thematic connection apart from the fact that the works to be presented would be played in chronological order. However Matthew clarifies the significance of the rather ambiguous title of the programme and the importance of the pieces selected for the first half of the concert. Firstly the programme that he is presenting tonight was used for a series of concerts and workshops on a tour of Britain he completed in a space of a month in November 2006. Matthew is using the very same programme on his first tour of Ireland, after performing it in Galway, Dublin and now finally Cork. He also explains that his source of inspiration for the programme was when he began to question the origins of plainchant. Matthew describes how outside influences to classical music such as improvisation and folk songs have helped shape classical music and how each work on the programme represents these ideas.

Consequently the auditorium descends into darkness and the light focuses on Matthew setting up a pre-recorded drone on a laptop before launching into his own improvisations on Gregorian chant, Syrian chant and Syrian folk tunes. The drone fades into the background and he continues into the Gabrielli Ricercar in G major. The music proves to relax the audience as one work blends into another making it difficult at times to distinguish what piece he is playing, until he begins to play the infamous Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G major. He finally pauses long enough to give the audience an opportunity to applaud before tuning his cello. Then he begins to play a rather passionate rendition of the first movement of Kodaly’s Sonata for solo cello abruptly awakening the audience from a reverie.

In the second half of the concert Barley explains how the pieces of this half of the programme were selected for the listener to delve deeper into this musical journey. Barley introduces the three Russian folk melodies (Mournful SongAutumn and Street Song) and the Kontakion (the Russian Orthodox Hymn for the Dead) from Britten’s Cello Suite No. 3  by playing them to familiarise the audience with them.

Then he begins to play the Suite. There is a constant underlying sense of desolate yearning in the Britten Cello Suite which Barley deftly brings out. The next piece John Metcalfe’s Constant Filter for Cello and Electronics is a rare sight for Irish audiences. Barley performs the lyrical cello line with great tenderness, with the electronic effects subtly weaving in and out giving an overall contemplative feel to the piece. The cello line and the electronic effects complement each other so well that they create an electroacoustic soundscape that sounds natural and sincere. Words not often associated with electronic music, making it very much accessible to all. Sollismo’s Lamentatio follows this showcasing Barley’s virtuosity. The piece has a percussive quality to it at times and a sense of reckless abandon. There are also moments when Barley hums or sings along while playing adding to the sense of anguish and loss in the piece. After which the auditorium immediately erupts into rapturous applause leading to an encore.

In conclusion what sets Matthew Barley apart from other performers is his ability to engage the audience. He skilfully enthralls the audience with his music and entertains with his vast knowledge and insights into the music he plays. Matthew Barley has certainly lived up to his reputation of being an innovative and adventurous cellist in his musical endeavours.

Programme:

Matthew Barley – Improvisations on Gregorian Chant, Syrian Chant and Syrian Folk themes

Domenico Gabrielli – Ricercar No. 6 in G major

J.S. Bach – Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007* last minute substitution for Cello Suite No. 3 in C major

Zoltan Kodaly – Movement 1 from Sonata for solo cello, Op. 8

Benjamin Britten – Cello Suite No. 3, Op. 87

John Metcalfe – Constant Filter for cello and electronics

Giovanni Sollima – Lamentatio

Encore: ‘Song of the Birds’ – Trad. Catalan Song arr. Pablo Casals