Ian de Massini Concert
10th September
ON A GLORIOUS SUNDAY in September Ian de Massini guided an appreciative
audience in Saints Cyriac and Julitta's along some of the richest lodes
laid down by Bach in his later years. Opening with the potentially, sternly
Germanic, first movement of the Italian Concerto Mr de Massini's skilful
and loving hands transformed it, from one of dialogue between "opposing
forces", into something more like deeply satisfying complementarity
between old and dear friends. Closing with the Fantasia in C minor he brought
us, through the comparatively languorous voluptuousness of its harmonious
beginning, safely back to the good, clean, energetic stimulation of the
intellect which fits us for the robustness of our fenland paradise.
What treats we had between! First our ears had to adapt to the resonance released from the sparsely peopled hail by the powerful nonpiano. But then, and much thanks also to de Massini's consummate musicianship, the wonderful melodic line in the Italian Concerto's Andante movement soared clearly above its non-orchestral accompaniment. It was really quite magical as were other passages when that combination of instrument and vessel surpassed pianoforte and fortepiano to approach the glory from a large organ in a great cathedral.
Mr de Massini's playing of the English Suite gave us an exploration of the A minor key to keep us on the edge of our seats. We may not have permitted dancing but stiff upper lips did quiver. The first of the BourrŽes surely functions at least to warm the soloist's fingers so that a happy switch to A major for the second can always evoke, without tinge of painful irony in this usually chillier island, the lifegiving sunniness of the latter. The addition of the Allegro movement at the end also thankfully prevents our being left with the desperately sad Sarabande as a final word on Englishness even if it was not Bach's. Instead optimism prevailed.
The Chromatic Fantasia with its "blue notes" almost sapping the treble comments might also have left us a little dispirited, in these difficult times, had it not led, through the tentatively cheerful Fugue, to Mr de Massini's own explosively triumphant cadenza. Hope could be justifiably restored.
The final Fantasia in C minor, while beginning with an extraordinarily weird harmonic discovery of where Bach might have taken us had he lived on, provided then a reprise of whence we had come. Not unthankfully that returned us to and left us in a state where the head can again take control of the heart but cheerfully replenished.
Swaffham Prior and its environs are singularly fortunate in keeping within our reach such a generous master of pedagogy and performance and one so thoroughly professionally endowed. Ian de Massini's Cambridge Voices have lately suffered two very sore bereavements. We grieve with him and them and hope that the memory of glories achieved together will begin to obliterate, for all, the sadness of this summer. His own brave, solo suite on Sunday enkindles prayers that so it will be.