Season 2010
Our fifteenth season opened with one of today's great Lieder partnerships, and a first rendition of ‘Dichterliebe’ at Plush. Imogen Cooper and Wolfgang Holzmair gave Schumann’s masterpiece an expressive performance, lending the cycle a dramatic aura as only they can.
Following his well recieved tour, and studio recording of Chopin's etudes, we were delighted that pianist Louis Lortie visted Plush together with Anthony Marwood and Katharine Gowers, for programmes including Tchaikovsky's piano trio. Years of scepticism about this work had prevented me from letting it anywhere near the festival, but popular demand chipped away at my resolve and, I must admit, I was converted. The Martinu duo, which neither Kathy or I could make head or tail of, seemed to go down particluarly well (if anyone can shed any light on this work please get in touch).
Switzerland's Merel Quartet brought us detailed precision and musical flair, in a programme featuring two of the great 20th century quartets by Bartok and Janacek, with Beethoven's 'Harp' quartet to finish.
Prodigious composer-pianist Kit Armstrong joined the Szymanowski Quartet, charming us with marvellous performances following their 2009 debut. With Gzegorz Kotow absent through illness, Nadia Wijzenbeek filled in as if she had been a member of the quartet since day one, while Kit gave a beautiful performance of Mozart variations and his own works. The BBC recorded the Faure G minor quartet, which we all felt to be one of the summer’s highlights.
The Kuss Quartet performed two late, maginificent works by Beethoven, and Schubert's great G major quartet, heard in Plush for the first time. The Schubert had been a long time in coming - it's one of my desert island pieces - but it was worth the wait.
The all-male Plush Ensemble this year was led by virtuoso Canadian violinist Corey Cerovsek and the stratospheric Thomas Gould. Together with William Coleman, Guy Ben-Ziony and Charles Owen, this group was one of the most rewarding to date. The Mozart string quintets are amongst my favourite pieces, of which the last two in D and Eb were given quite radical but very enjoyable performances. Not to forget Liszt’s ‘Vallee d’Obermann’ arranged for piano trio, perhaps the find of the summer?
Adrian Brendel, Music Director