Aronowitz Ensemble, Stromness Town Hall/St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Not often do you find string players so accomplished that they can sit comfortably, within two concerts, in either the first violin, second violin or viola seat.

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But Tom Hankey, Lily Francis and Magnus Johnston did just that, keeping the audience guessing and delighting them all the while, and in programmes ranging from Weir to Schubert. That they can do this is not only a sign of the strength of the ensemble, but also testament to the fact that they value musical vitality above traditional hierachy.

The Korngold Piano Quintet, from the pen of a composer who went on to write many lush Hollywood film scores, was a fine showcase for the ensemble's rich sound, with palette-cleansing moments of interesting colour and orchestration; crystalline moments of piano from Tom Poster combined with string pizzicato, or a muted solo line from Francis wandering above non-muted accompaniment. The Shostakovic Piano Quintet coursed through its suitably elemental opening, to a Fugue so fragile and beautiful that listening was like holding a butterfly in your hands, full of wonder, afraid to touch its wings. The Scherzo, a movement that laughs in your face like a demented madman, might have been even more sinister with a little less force. But Hankey delighted with his devil's dance on the highwire of the e string, before turning gentle and perfect arcs with Poster in the fourth movement, and sinking hopeless into the gloom. After transforming the defiant theme of the finale into a benign and deceptively lulling parlour song, the group closed the concert with a touch light enough as if to say "nothing to see here".The audience who came the next night to the cathedral for some late night Schubert were expecting first more Weir, but instead were treated to the warm bath of sound that marked the "once upon a time" feel of the opening of Dvorak's string quartet Cypresses. In this, the dovetailing between Magnus Johnston and Hankey's violin parts was particularly exquisite. For the Schubert, Guy Johnston and Marie Macleod matched silk and strength on their cello lines. And beating like the glowing golden heart of the Festival, the slow movement they gave was a wonder, a haze of peace around the sound. It's a demanding piece for a concert late at night; tiring to play, but a midnight feast for the listener. HHHH

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Aronowitz Ensemble, Stromness Town Hall/St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall

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