Cork Orchestral Society Presents...Slovak Festival Ensemble

Cork Orchestral Society presents Slovak Festival Ensemble 1:10pm, 26th July, Crawford Gallery, Cork OK – let’s get the negative stuff out of the way first. Wrists, boys, wrists. Namely, your right wrists. Specifically, loosen them! There was a lot of elbow-work going on and, occasionally, the left hand appeared to be running ahead of the right. I suppose I should explain things at this point. This lunchtime, the COS presented the Slovak Festival Ensemble (also does weddings, we were told) with a programme of crowd-pleasers, such as Pachelbel’s Canon in D and Stauss’ Blue Danube Waltz. The ensemble consists of the conductor/founder/soloist, Vladimir Jablokov, on violin, his sister on piano, his brother on second violin (I didn’t catch their names, apologies), Steve on viola and Aron on double bass. We’ll get back to the wrists later. Aside from Vladimir’s chitchat, with which even this reviewer can put up in small doses, the music came hard and fast, not a phrase you normally associate with a lunchtime classical concert, I’ll bet. Moving from a slightly jazzed-up version of Pachelbel’s Canon (first time I’ve ever heard slap bass being used in this piece) to Mozart’s Divertimento no. 1 and onto de Sarasate’s Gypsy Airs, we heard the full range on offer from this quintet today. Let me say this – when they play gently and softly, when they let their instruments sing and the music sound, these are a great bunch to listen to. However, the leaning here, more and more, was faster & louder equals more impressive. Now, considering the smattering of a standing ovation received at the end, I may well be alone with my opinion but, seeing as I’m the one writing this, let’s push on. The musicians themselves were a little stiff to begin with, which could be put down to nerves. By the time we reached the Gypsy Airs (their speciality, according to Vladimir – I feel we’re on first name terms now after all the chat), they were loosened up – almost. The wrists, the wrists! My kingdom for a waggledly wrist! Their left hands (finger hands) are loose and versatile, easily commanding the most difficult of passages. Their right hands, however, lagged behind – literally so in some instances. This is down to a lack of flexibility in the wrists – it is very, very difficult to play semi-/demi-/hemi-quavers with speed and/or lightness when you are trying to use your whole arm. Even just using the arm from the elbow can be awkward and clunky. It can sound heavy and, to this reviewer, is stiff and laboured to look at. The Bach was a welcome rest from the (occasionally frenetic) intensity of the gypsy music. Around this time, I was hoping to hear more from Jablokov the younger, as he seemed to have promise and several times looked like he was about to break out. He did. With Czardas. Let me say that I love Czardas – it’s one of my favourites of all the popular violin pieces. I don’t think it deserved a jazz overhaul (for one section) or Hollywood treatment (for another). Nor did it require being taken at such a speed for it to be exciting. The concert ended with three Strauss numbers – two from the son and one from the father. The polka was played with verve and brio, just what was needed. The Radetsky got the crowd clapping along. But the Blue Danube was in full and roaring flood. This is a group of talented and promising musicians, budding performers, who are currently making a living as jobbing musicians (hence the weddings, get their contact details from the COS), playing crowd-pleasers to beat the band. It is my suspicion (and I could be wrong) that they are bored senseless with the music, hence the constant additions of variations, trills and ornamentation, and the harder, faster, louder style of playing. (Although having a double bass in place of a cello is interesting and surprisingly versatile.) They can do this music standing on their heads and it pays the bills. I think they can do more. The ability is there, the interest in music in there. The question is, will they expand into more challenging music? Will they attempt the really difficult stuff, like playing something simple so beautifully and simply that it brings tears to the eyes? Or will they keep churning out more of the same? Programme Pachelbel, J. Canon in D Mozart, W.A. Divertimento no.1 (Allegro, Andante, Presto) De Sarasate, P. Gypsy Airs Bach, J.S. Air Monti, V. Czardas Strauss, J. Tratch-Tratsch Polka Strauss, J. Blue Danube Strauss, J. Radetzky March