Horsham Music Circle recital by Frederico Paixão - flute and Mark Rogers - piano

The performance was a carefully constructed tapestry of nostalgic composers harkening back to the older generations of music writers. The programme consisted of mainly late-romantic French composers in the first half: Tailleferre – and a piece in devotion of Tailleferre (Le Tombeau de Tailleferre) by E. Carrapatoso – Poulenc, L. Boulanger, and Godard; while in the second half an almost climactic piece by Bach was played, followed by three wonderfully characterful English pieces, by Vaughan-Williams, Bowen, and Madeleine Dring respectively – the last of which was a well-deserved and encouraged encore, delivered in virtuosic excellence.

After having set a beautifully pastoral and meditative tone in the concerts opening, an explosion of lively character and revelled delight sounded across the barn with Poulenc’s ‘Sonata for Flute and Piano.’ Control and contrasting expression were second to none and the clear chemistry between these two talented performers was strikingly clear. The considered and tasteful rubato only accentuated the opposing furious and plaintive affects of this work.

Paixao’s clear and singing tone married beautiful with Rogers’ warm and evocative playing in the Boulanger (‘Nocturne’), culminating in a piece that the audience could not help but sit in serene bliss. This of course was followed by Godard’s ‘Suite de trois morceaux,’ whom when played by Frederico created an astonishingly captivating and cheeky character, especially in the valse finale.

Moving to the second half, Paixao’s rendition of Bach’s Flute Sonata in E Major was played with stylistic sensitivity, again dutifully accompanied by Rogers, highlighting the ornate and expressive part writing so fundamental to Bach’s music. Vaughan-Williams’ relatively unknown piece, ‘Suite de Ballet,’ stood as an almost definitive cohesion to the whole programme, not namely because of his French impressionist influences but because his piece again looks back to the French musical traditions of antiquity containing many dance movements that the likes of Bach would have been familiar to. Above the tumultuous and cryptic harmonies, beautiful, pure melodies sung out in the flute line – a real hidden gem of a piece.

In a surprising yet delightful coincidence, the two young artists finished the second half with a sonata by York Bowen (Op.120) who himself had not only performed as a part of the Horsham Music Circle, but so too had Gareth Morris whom the sonata was written for. From start to finish the piece was executed by Paixao and Rogers with precision and the highest sense of musicality.

Review by Luca J Imperiale