Irish Timeswriters review a selection of events.
Willetts, IBO Chamber Soloists
Hugh Lane gallery, Dublin
Though the 250th anniversary of the death of harpsichord-king Alessandro Scarlatti might not rank highly in the musical calendar, it was a fertile pretext for two concerts by members of the Irish Baroque Orchestra and their guest, the young English countertenor Owen Willetts.
Their lunchtime programme at the Hugh Lane was a shortened version of one given the night before at Down Arts Centre. As well as a cantata by Scarlatti's father Domenico, it included music by Handel, Corelli and Thomas Roseingrave, all cronies of Alessandro during their Italian years.
Harpsichordist Malcolm Proud and theorbo player Richard Sweeney worked the continuo line collaboratively and in shifts, their combined harmonic instincts creating a fittingly sultry ambience in Handel's cantata Vedendo amor HWV 175.
On cello, Sarah McMahon imbued the formulaic bass lines with such style and musicianship that, notwithstanding the discreet supportiveness of her playing, it was hard not to pay close attention to it.
Proud, true to form, surrendered himself to the contrasting personas of two solo items, bringing bellicose verve to the younger Scarlatti's clangorous Sonata in A minor K175, and a peacock-like strut to Roseingrave's Introduction to Scarlatti's Lessons.
Despite some competition from Proud's puissant instrument, it was possible to detect an increasingly cushioned quality to the violin playing of Claire Duff in sonatas by Corelli (Op 5 No 1) and Scarlatti senior (K91) - the one ornamented, the other gesticulated, with much taste.
There could be no balance problems, however, for Willetts. As the chivalric Arsace from Handel's Partenope, this rising star left no doubts as to why the male falsetto voice should have occupied such a commanding position on the Baroque operatic stage. Andrew Johnstone
McGuinness, Beatson
NCH John Field Room, Dublin
Beethoven - Sonata in G Op 30 No 3. Chausson - Poème. Brahms - Sonata in D minor Op 108. Ravel - Tzigane
Gina Maria McGuinness is one of those violinists who's been performing in public since a young age. The biography for her first full-length evening recital lists a Vivaldi concerto performance given with the Young European Strings Intermediate Orchestra at the age of seven. Now, at the age of 19, she still seems a fully natural performer, in tune with herself as well as with the music she plays.
Her programme offered two 19th-century German sonatas by Beethoven and Brahms, each followed by a shorter piece from the French repertoire, the intense lyricism of Chausson's Poème ending the first half, the colourful high jinks of Ravel's Tzigane rounding off the second.
McGuinness is one of those players who can project a grand phrase without ever sounding grandiose. Her tone in the Field Room came across as lean, her vibrato on the fast side, but without trespassing into nerviness. Her musicianship may at times be fiery, but it's also balanced. Her handling of the two sonatas showed a fine awareness of issues of balance and form, which was only momentarily derailed in moments of overenthusiasm.
Her partner, the much-praised Scottish pianist Alasdair Beatson, was unfortunately on wayward form. For most of the evening his often over-pedalled playing showed the kind of flickering consistency of the images of an early movie.
Chausson's Poème is a difficult undertaking at the best of times with piano - the orchestral original calls for sustaining qualities that the piano simply cannot deliver - and McGuinness's highly strung playing here also seemed to miss the point.
As a team, the duo were at their collective best in the Ravel. McGuinness steered a tasteful course through the flashy faux-gypsiness of the violin writing, and Beatson came to the piano part with a fresh and imaginative ear. Michael Dervan
Buena Vista Social Club
Cork Opera House
"Viva the People's Republic," shouted one concert-goer as the 12-piece Buena Vista Social Club made their Leeside debut. It was unclear, however, whether he was referring to Cork or Cuba, while a T-shirt with the words "Shéa" framing an image of Che Guevara only added to the cultural mix-up. Sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale, and with seating removed to increase the capacity, the Buena Vista bandwagon shows no sign of abating a decade after Ry Cooder and Wim Wenders let the world in on Havana's best-kept musical secret.
Yet, thankfully, this is no Rio Riverdance - it is instead as authentic a Havana sound as can be squeezed into a collective ensemble. Symbolising that authenticity was the long deep notes of bass player Cachaito López - the only member of the line-up to have played on every track on every album in the Buena Vista series. Equally as compelling was bandleader Jesús "Aguaje" Ramos's trombone and general bonhomie, which has been an integral part of a decade of World Circuit recordings.
Throw Grammy-winning Manuel Galbán into the mix along with Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabel on roaring trumpet, and you get some sense of the creative talent.
While some of the original members such as Rubén González, Compay Segundo or Ibrahim Ferrer are no longer with us, their influence remains from the opening notes of Borderlain Montuna through each cha-cha, bolero and samba.
Ferrer in particular was remembered with an evocative rendition of Dos Gardenias, the 1930s bolero that he learnt from Beny Moore over half a century ago. A raucous rendition of Candela from that seven million-selling debut album proved that line-ups may chop and change, but the collective spirit remains.
It's this affinity to the soul of Cuban music and the social clubs of Havana that ensured the brand was never in danger of outperforming the band.
The swaying crowds responded with an intense frenzy, as couples swirled and tangoed in the aisles and every note change enthusiastically applauded. Brian O'Connell
