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Review of King’s Lynn Festival’s Skampa String Quartet, Chloe Piano Trio and Morgan Szymanksi performances




Reviewer Andy Tyler shares his thoughts on chamber music recitals as part of King’s Lynn Festival...

Fine chamber music recitals have always featured prominently during King’s Lynn Festivals and this year was no exception.

I recently attended concerts given by the Skampa String Quartet, Chloe Piano Trio, and solo guitarist, Morgan Szymanski and I can report each event was very special in its own way.

The Skampa Quartet performed at St George's Guildhall in Lynn
The Skampa Quartet performed at St George's Guildhall in Lynn

The famous Skampa Quartet, from Czechoslovakia, one of the world’s finest quartets, consisting of Petra Brabcova (violin), Adela Stajnochrova (violin), Martin Stupka (viola) and Lukas Polak (cello) gave outstanding performances at St George’s Guildhall of three works: Schubert’s Quartettsatz in C minor, D703, Mozart’s String Quartet in C major, K465, ‘Dissonance’ and Brahms’ String Quartet in A minor, Op.51, No.2.

All works played with clarity, but at the same time, the quartet has a rich and warm quality especially suited to the Brahms Quartet.

Whether passionate, intense, tender or lively the quartet captured the music’s moods to perfection.

The quartet, mentored by The Smetana Quartet, has won many prizes, awards and competitions, performs widely, has a close relationship with BBC Radio 3, Wigmore Hall, and has made award-winning recordings for The Supraphon label.

The King’s Lynn Festival is famous for its popular series of Coffee Concerts, often giving younger artists an opportunity to make music to appreciative audiences.

The Chloe Piano Trio, formed in 2017, has Maria Gilicel (violin), Jobine Siekman (cello) and George Todica (piano), as members, all coming from The Royal College of Music, and their Coffee Concert proved to be a great success, with piano trios by Haydn and Mendelssohn given performances of grace, delicacy and refinement, all contrasted emotions sensitively conveyed.

An encore, which proved to be popular with the audience was ‘Soir’ by Mel Bonis. The trio has performed widely, won prodigious awards and has recorded works by Women composers at Abbey Road Studios; they enjoy a varied repertoire and were very welcome participants in The King’s Lynn Festival.

Morgan Szymanski’s solo guitar recital took place at St Nicholas’ Chapel, as he attracted a large and enthusiastic audience at one of the festival’s final events.

Morgan was born in Mexico City, and is certainly a young musician with an exciting career.

He has performed widely solo, and with distinguished musicians and orchestras, broadcast frequently and made recordings, one of music by Alec Roth for the Signum label with tenor Mark Padmore.

His recital consisted of a varied and well-received programme, including popular works by Tarrega and Albeniz, as well as not so well known pieces by Sor, Ponce, Roth, Oliva, Houghton and York.

The prelude from the Suite No.1 by J.S. Bach started things off, and it was a pleasure to enjoy the familiar pieces and get a flavour of the not-so-well-known to explore in the future.

Morgan’s seven-week UK tour finished in Lynn with a Brazilian encore enjoyed by all!

Review by Andy Tyler



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