|
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
Margaret Davies, Musical Opinion - May-June 2004.
|
Warren Mailley-Smith at St John's, Smith Square September 26th 2003"Frank Bridge's rarely heard Phantasm brought pianist Warren Maillley-Smith
to the fore with a performance that got to the essence of a work that
was much criticised upon it's first hearing. I enjoyed this performance
very much. Accompanied by full Orchestra Mailley-Smith, from memory, gave
a virtuoso performance of Bridge's captivating score bustling with notes
that were lucid throughout" "...your wonderful performance was a special treat. The richness
of the harmony, the subtlety of the structure and the intricate substance
of the invention all came through wonderfully in your interpretation,
bringing a neglected masterpiece to life with imaginative artistry. I
am profoundly grateful to you-and I am sure Bridge would have felt the
same...."
|
Warren Mailley-Smith at Fairfield Hall May 3 20054 star **** rating "Warren Mailley-Smith might have been a new name but for frequently having to drive when Radio 3's 'In Tune is broadcast. He appeared toward the end of last year and revealed himself as a personable speaker. Some performers fear telling audiences too much about the workings of music in case in some way they’re giving away secrets of the trade. Mailley-Smith, however, began this concert by winning over the audience (as if his playing wouldn’t have done that!) in describing "a couple of musical signposts” in Liszt's magnificent Sonata in B minor. Announcing it thus, he demonstrated the three themes from the first page upon which this musical rock is built. It was a clever move, for people always like music they've heard before and now they had done so. His motive and success was at a considerably higher level than that comment suggests, however. He was under the skin of the music, constantly making it sound as if he was exploring this "thematic transformation” afresh. Chopin's serene Berceuse in D flat, Op.57. may be enormously popular, but again it was played as a breath of fresh air by this pianist who is stirring up much-deserved support, not the least from his Wigmore Hall debut earlier this year. In lesser hands, too, the second
Hungarian Rhapsody by Liszt might have set up groans on hearing the
hackneyed [opening], but this was a brilliant- in several senses –
performance, commanding attention. Clearly we shall hear a good deal more
of this most interesting young performer"
|
|
London Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Group at St Michael's Church, Brighton, May 13 2006 SCHUBERT'S String Quintet in C with two cellos is familiar to radio listeners as one of the most popular choices on Desert Island Discs. The slow movement is usually the reason because of its unwordly peace, albeit interrupted further down the line, before being restored, after an impassioned outbursting middle section. It needs no introduction to many listeners. To chamber music string players it is even more in their blood. So to discover that this ensemble's particular five members were playing the piece together for the first time, and yet performing it so naturally and seeming so at home in its surroundings, should not have been a surprise. To find that first violin Clare Duckworth had never performed it before, however, was unexpected in view of her presence in the preceding Spohr Double Quartet No 1 for strings. Louis Spohr ensured his high skill on the fiddle was showcased in these chamber works he composed, to businesslike order, around the time of Beethoven. And in playing this work Duckworth, leader of the LPO second violins, had given notice of her concerto-playing standard qualities. The Schubert was a rewarding experience for all. The players took no risks, wisely enough since their combination was a new one. But the essence of the work was there for the delicious tasting and soul-stirring digestion. One problem, however with the acoustics of this building, which is, I understand, making its debut as a Fringe venue. It is too reverberant for detailed instrumental argument and intricate, quick-moving texture. Vocal or instrumental music of singing quality will come across still and the Schubert contained the most of that on the night. But the Spohr and the opening performance of Mozart's Piano Quartet in G minor suffered. The sound delay created a mush, like music being played behind a veil that obscured the detail. Maybe like eyesight through cataracts. Warren Mailley-Smith's talent was plain and invigorating in this startling work, such a rare combination (piano, violin, viola, cello), almost masquerading as a rare, third, minor-key Piano Concerto between Mozart's own Numbers 21 and 22, if its K478 cataloguing is at all chronological. It thus stems from Mozart's greatest period of creativity. But his excellent performance in this - his debut with the ensemble - and the intricacies of Spohr's always high-class instrumental interplay, were clouded by the heights and depths of the building. This church would be better suited to choral, vocal and early instrumental music. But the evening was a memorable one. Eagerly awaited repertoire, played with real assurance. Richard Amey, Worthing Herald, May 2006 |
|
Silhouettes - Warren Mailley-Smith, Classical Choice, September 3 2006 Thank-you, Warren. Just as my eight year-old was reneging on his piano practise, I popped on Silhouettes to show him what hard graft could achieve. Reluctantly he returned to the keyboard. Practise has resulted in perfection for Mailley-Smith, one of our most promising young musicians. A prize-winner at Birmingham Conservatoire, these recordings wonderfully display the range of his talents, from crossed-hands piano gymnastics to delicate, emotion-filled touches. Silhouettes includes the jazz-infused Sonata by British-born York Bowen, but Liszt’s ever-popular Hungarian Rhapsody steals the show. David Brookes, Sunday Mercury September 3 2006
Warren Mailley-Smith’s first CD is dedicated to the many facets of
love, the early pieces plucked from the virtuoso’s best loved favourites,
played with immaculate technique and consummate musicianship whilst the
last work is the rarely heard B flat sonata by the English composer York
Bowen, a work of great charm and keyboard fascination by a composer who
was himself a fine pianist. Liszt’s third concert study, generally known as Sospiro opens the programme with
the same composer’s famous Liebestraume and the helter-skelter Second
Hungarian Rhapsody confirming that Liszt knew a thing or two about the
tenderness and passions of love, as did his friend Chopin, whose lovely
Berceuse is a highlight of this enjoyable disc. Other composers include
Prokofiev and Mendelssohn with Earl Wild’s brilliant transcription of
Gershwin’s I Got
Rhythm. On the strength of
this CD I am looking forward to hearing Warren Mailley-Smith’s Wigmore
Hall recital on 24 September. Denby Richards, Musical Opinion May/June 2007 Back to top
York Bowen (1884–1961), who never espoused modernism, continued to compose in a style which owed something to Rachmaninov and the French impressionists. In this sonata from his last year there is a touch of jazzy harmony in the middle movement. It is worth while revisiting composers of the earlier 20th C and this exhumation is well justified. I have recently been castigated for what some think is an excessive concern about presentation and readability... Mailley-Smith (who has a formidably sophisticated website) and his Quartz team may be congratulated on getting it quite right, from my stance. Good black on white printing of succinct notes on each item in large clear type, and a striking cover image. One needs no more. I look forward to hearing him play live. Peter Grahame Woolf |
Warren Mailley-Smith at St John's, Smith Square June 23rd 2003" ...a most musical artist. Two impressions by John Ireland... demonstrated
this gifted pianist's range and sympathies. Malcolm Williamson's excellent
First Sonata, was very well played as were, Three Preludes by Delius and
York Bowen's large scale Sonata in Bb Op 160, an impressive piece...challenging
fare, indeed, to which this fine pianist rose admirably." "...bold and forthright ... light and shade... eloquently phrased,
with firm rhythmic support...A courageous performance, from memory, of
York Bowen's Sonata in B flat minor. Warren Mailley-Smith could perform
a useful service by concentrating even more on such neglected repertoire." "...His programme was one of the most varied and ambitious I have
ever come across and his ability to tackle such a wide variety was astonishing,
technically and stylistically..." |
![[click here to download]](images/WMS Rising Star BBCMM Sep07.jpg){kind=link}