West Cork Chamber Music Festival

WHILE Dublin audiences at the National Concert Hall were duly pointed towards America on July 4th, the West Cork Chamber Music Festival steadfastly looked to other territories, all European.

The day's opening recital was given by pianist Susan Tomes, with a strong programme of Haydn (the Variations in F minor), Schumann (Kreisleriana) and Debussy (two pieces from the second book of Preludes).

Ms Tomes is an able pianist but, interpretatively, she played this programme like someone with a narrow view and a large magnifying glass. That is to say, the points she chose to make, and the aspects of a particular piece she chose to highlight, leapt at the listener disproportionately and, to my ears at any rate, uningratiatingly rather than invitingly.

The main evening concert opened with Beethoven's early Quintet for piano and wind (Hugh Tinney with Matthew Manning, oboe, Romain Guyot, clarinet, Stephen Stirling, horn, and Julie Price, bassoon). This work is an outgoing piece and was played in suitably outgoing style, with particularly winning contributions from the pianist and clarinettist.

This was followed by an impassioned performance of Smetana's Quartet in E minor (From my Life) by the RTE Vanbrugh Quartet.

The late-night slot was given over to the Chilingirian Quartet's performance of the Third String Quartet of Benjamin Britten.

The slowly rocking, sobbing passacaglia of the finale apart, this quartet has always seemed to me an overrated piece. It did so again on this occasion, though the close cast its spell as successfully as ever.