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Nine members of Music in the Round’s Ensemble 360, which marks its 20th anniversary at the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival (16 – 24 May) share their selections here exclusively with The Sheffield Telegraph.
Festival tickets are available at musicintheround.co.uk
Robert Plane, clarinet COPLAND Appalachian Spring (Tue 20 May, 7pm)
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There’s something about the opening of Copland’s masterful ballet Appalachian Spring that has sent shivers down my spine for over forty years.
It is music that manages to make us feel a plethora of emotions simultaneously; its exquisite simplicity is almost painfully beautiful. It was the first piece I played with my orchestra after I’d lost my dad. Somehow, it’s become indelibly connected with him for me.
Gemma Rosefield, cello
SCHOENBERG Verklärte Nacht (Thu 22 May, 2pm)
I have loved Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht since I first heard it. I always love the richness of the combination of two violins, two violas and two cellos, but the way Schoenberg utilises the pairings of instruments is haunting. It’s incredibly passionate and romantic but also very evocative.
Benjamin Nabarro, violin
MOZART Quintet for Piano and Wind (Thu 22 May, 2pm)
One of the best things about being in Ensemble 360 is listening to, learning from and admiring colleagues. Stepping outside of playing helps remind me of how lucky we all are to live in this world of wonderful, seemingly endless music.
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Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Wind is both a concerto for every instrument and a piece of exquisite chamber music.
Claudia Ajmone-Marsan, violin STRAUSS Metamorphosen (Tue 20 May, 7pm)
Metamorphosen means a lot to me, it was one of the first pieces I played with my close friends at music school.
The beautiful melodic, harmonic and rhythmic writing undergoes constant metamorphoses as its lines and textures overlap one another, creating an unceasing river of sound.
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I’m so looking forward to being immersed in this wonderful piece again in the intimate Crucible Playhouse.
Rachel Roberts, viola
RAVEL Mother Goose Suite (Mon 19 May, 2pm)
I’ve chosen Mother Goose Suite in its chamber version, not only because it’s a magical tapestry of colour and texture, but because each Ensemble 360 member contributes to its evocative storytelling. The strings create rich textures, from delicate whispers to sweeping long lines. The wind players use varied techniques to enhance the musical dialogue, and the piano sounds crystalline at times.
Adrian Wilson, oboe
KNUSSEN Cantata for Oboe and String Trio (Fri 23 May, 7pm)
I think it’s pretty unusual to have the opportunity to play a piece of chamber music written by someone who used to live in your hometown!
Olly Knussen was born and lived in Milngavie whilst his father and uncle played double bass in the Scottish National Orchestra!
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It will be the first time I have performed his oboe quartet.
Juliette Bausor, flute
DURUFLÉ Prelude, Recitatif and Variations (Mon 19 May, 2pm)
This is a relatively unknown work by the French composer, Maurice Duruflé; you might already know his beautiful Requiem.
The trio is for an unusual scoring of flute, viola and piano; it really draws on the characteristics of each instrument.
Naomi Atherton, horn
POULENC Oboe Sonata (Thu 22 May, 2pm)
I first heard the French oboist Maurice Bourgue as a student. He was playing Strauss’s Oboe Concerto. I was pinned to my seat and hardly dared breathe as the opening phrase seemed to wrap its way around my emotions.
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The oboe is such a wonderful fit for Poulenc’s paradoxical composing style. Using the instrument’s full range, one moment there is vulnerability or darkness, the next playfulness, warmth and humour.
Tim Horton, piano
BRAHMS String Sextet (Thu 22 May, 7pm)
Brahms’s music stands out for its incredible quality and consistency. This isn’t only due to his famously self-critical methods of composition but also for the humanity and complexity of emotion inhabiting his works.
One of the many pieces close to my heart is the String Sextet. From the opening ambiguities of the first movement, through the rustic joy of the second and fourth movements, it’s a perfect piece of music.
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Pieces hold special place in hearts of musicians – thestar.co.uk
