Review: David Fray with Royal Northern Sinfonia at The Glasshouse
A programme of popular 18th Century classics by Mozart and Bach drew a decent-sized audience to the big concert hall.
There was nothing not to like – except, perhaps, that when a concert is directed by the star soloist from the piano, inevitably you have to make do with a back view, so no clear view of fingers on keyboard.
It was a small sacrifice.
This was the kind of music that even if you might think you don’t know it, you’ll have heard it – and it was allowed to do all the talking bar a whispered ‘thank you’ from David Fray, the aforementioned celebrated soloist, after enthusiastic applause brought him back for an encore.
The Frenchman made his entrance after the Sinfonia strings had given a sparkling rendition of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A little night music) whose jaunty rhythms set the tone for a concert in which the Glasshouse classical team had promised to be “majoring on Mozart and bigging up Bach”.
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The Mozart opener served as the first layer of bread in the sandwich with the remainder of the concert’s first half dedicated to Bach.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 saw violinist Jonathan Martindale, once a Sinfonia member, front of stage alongside flautist Fred Paixao to lead the musical charge with Fray occasionally flicking a hand in the air or rising from the piano stool to conduct.
It made for a mesmerising river of sound and harmony, paving the way for the short but sweet Piano Concerto No. 5 in which David Fray was again able to strut his stuff, a man to the piano born.
The headliner came after the break, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 said to reveal the composer’s darker side because its minor key anticipates Don Giovanni in which the main man is dragged to hell.
Well, everything’s relative and there was nothing hellish about this performance.
Pianist and orchestra gave a delightful account of the piece which would have concluded the proceedings if Monsieur Fray, with a final flick of his hair, hadn’t put the cherry on the cake with his brief encore as the orchestra joined us as appreciative spectators.
Next up here in this classical season is the Sinfonia of London with Sheku Kanneh-Mason playing Shostakovich on Friday, October 18.
The Royal Northern Sinfonia will be on stage again on October 27 with more Mozart, the Jupiter Symphony.
Find details of all future events via The Glasshouse website.