Robert McFall and the ensemble that bears his name bring a certain domesticity to the concert platform without ever domesticating their repertoire.
The informality of a Mr. McFall’s Chamber concert make each of them something of a family affair, and such was certainly the case with their programme ‘Solitudes; Baltic Reflections’.
The atmosphere was, however, by no means as chill as that title might suggest, since a considerable part of the programme was given over to Finnish tango music.
Opening with Aulis Sallinen’s ‘Introduction and Tango Overture’ the ensemble began as they intended the evening to proceed – you might be forgiven for wondering why tango should prove popular in Finland, but in the 1950’s in that country, with its tangled recent past and overshadowed by a still-powerful Soviet Union, one can imagine that the rebellious messages of social and sexual revolt tango exudes would have proven highly alluring.
The first half of the programme included Zita Bruzaite’s ‘Bangos’ for solo piano played admirably by Maria Martinova, Olli Mustonen’s ‘Toccata’ and ‘Lamento’ for two violas by Kalevi Aho, dedicated to the memory of violinist Sakari Laukola, and played at his funeral, the sombre mood of which was lightened by the deceptively simple-seeming ‘A Little Summer Music’ of Petris Vasks, with its echoes of Latvian folk melodies, which closed the first half.
The opening of the second half was equally light of spirit, consisting of Arvo Part’s solo piano piece ‘Fur Alise’ running into Toivo Karki’s tango-inflected ‘Taysikuu’, followed by, among other items, Sibelius’ ‘Einsames Lied’ (the Solitude of the concert’s title) and closing with the opening section of that composer’s ‘Finlandia’, the first performance of which celebrated Finland’s growing rejection of Imperial Russian domination.
A concert given by Mr. McFall’s Chamber is always a cause for celebration in itself, and this was no exception, a fine demonstration of both the variety and creativity of Northern European music and of the considerable talents of those playing.