review of concert on 27/01/02
Taken from Varsity, 01/02/2002
ISIS twice as nice
Sunday 27th January was Cambridge’s much-hyped ‘piano day’. ISIS presented a showcase of the best of Twentieth Century concertowriting, and King’s Music Society demonstrated to us just how many pianos they can hire with their budget.
King’s, from whence hail many of the University’s finest pianists, delivered no less than it promised: superb individual performances and well-balanced, thoughtful ensemble-playing. However, ISIS’s Twentieth Century in Black and White provided just as much, if not more, riotous pianistic entertainment. ISIS’s performance of Ravel’s G Major concerto was Sadaharu Muramatsu’s Cambridge conducting debut. He tackled the unenviable task of coordinating the fiendish orchestral writing and the florid solo with panache and skill. The concerto was full of beautiful moments, particularly in the second movement. The outer movements had an energy which carried orchestra and audience through some slightly hairy moments. A lesser orchestra under another conductor could easily have come unstuck, but ISIS clearly enjoyed the piece so much that any little slips just tripped past. Tau Wey’s solo was inspiring. A relaxed yet precise performer, Tau was a joy to hear, and his playing brought alive sections that are often glossed over on recordings. The second half of the concert was even more impressive. Steven Rajam’s conducting was precise and the orchestra well-controlled at all times, as was the playing in Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos. The two soloists, Mat Trustram and Matthew Pritchard, had an excellent rapport with each other and the orchestra, and played with considerable vitality. It was clear that every player was heartily enjoying the comedic charm and beauty of Poulenc’s masterpiece. The Concerto for Piano and Trumpet is a riotous example of Shostakovich’s natural, fresh exuberance. Tom Stothart (piano) and David Gange (trumpet), familiar to regulars at the Radegund, had just the right touch to bring out the irreverence of the piece, along with the technique to carry off the trickier sections with style. The crazy finale was justifiably well received by a packed house.
After such a successful concert, ISIS has proved itself to be a formidable player on the Cambridge orchestral scene, defying sceptics who had last term given it an undeservedly lukewarm reception. Togetherness and control were balanced perfectly with sensitivity and musicality. This success is a tribute to the vision and hard work of its players, committee, and musical director.