Do you want the Good News or the Bad News?
According to a study by Canadian author Ray Williams, media reports show that bad news far outweighs good news by as much as seventeen negative news reports for every good news report, and that many of us prefer to get the bad news out of the way, first.
But with such a steady stream of bad news presently hitting us from every conceivable angle, I’ve decided to buck that trend and start with the good news.
One of the most popular forms of classical music is the Piano Concerto, and most orchestral concert programmes will usually include at least one example each season. Unfortunately, the ongoing refurbishment of Plymouth Guildhall has meant that our own Plymouth Symphony Orchestra (PSO) has been unable to feature a piano concerto since March 2023, because there is no suitable piano available in PSO’s temporary home in the Minster Church of St Andrew.
Piano Concerto
Well, the first bit of good news is that the first concert in the continuing prestigious ‘Musica Viva’ series in the Levinsky Hall includes a piano concerto in the programme. Even better news is that it’s not one of the frequently-heard old chestnuts by the likes of Grieg, Rachmaninov or Tchaikovsky, but one which is performed far less often – Bach’s Piano Concerto in D minor (1734), originally for harpsichord, even though the piano, more or less as we know it today, had been invented some thirty years earlier.
Exciting and unique
Speaking about the programme in general, Director of Music Bob Taub said: ‘We invite you to join us for this exciting and unique celebration of a master of the 20th-century, one whose works withstand all tests of time and highlight the importance of ‘home as a defining stylistic concept’.
Mark Forkgen
Mark Forkgen conducts a unique programme of Purcell / Britten Chacony, Bach Concerto in D minor and the ground-breaking Bartók Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. This concert features the Musica Viva Sinfonia comprised of leading London musicians, many of whom have performed previously on Musica Viva concerts. Bob Taub will be the soloist in the Bach concerto.
The concert takes place on Saturday 1 February 2025, with a pre-concert talk at 7pm, followed by the performance proper from 7.30-9.30pm. Levinsky Hall is situated in the Roland Levinsky Building on the university campus.
Takács Quartet
Then on Saturday 15 March, the closing concert in the 2024/25 Musica Viva series features the world-renowned Takács Quartet, who start their Spring 2025 European Tour at the university. Bob Taub added: ‘This is actually their first concert-performance in Plymouth, and their programme for us is particularly engaging. We are thrilled to welcome them on this occasion’.
The Takács Quartet opens its programme with Beethoven’s first String Quartet, Op 18 No 1 in F, and continues with Bartók’s Quartet No 3, leaving Dvořák’s Quartet in E flat major, Op 51 to conclude the evening, and the current concert series. The work was commissioned by Jean Becker, leader of the celebrated Florentine Quartet, and, as was typical of this period, Becker specifically asked for a quartet with a distinct ‘Slavonic’ flavour to it, and Dvořák duly obliged, coming up with a work that makes prominent gestures to popularly-conceived – though by now somewhat clichéd – Slavonic folk dances. There is the usual pre-concert talk at 7pm, followed by the performance from 7.30-9.30pm.
Ticket information: £12, £10 concessions, Free to all students and under 18s. For further information, Email: thebridge@plymouth.ac.uk
While you are busy relishing these two varied, yet equally attractive events, I’m afraid the time has now come to flag up the bad news.
Bob Taub – or to be more precise – Dr Robert Taub – was appointed Director of Music for the Arts Institute at the University of Plymouth, with a mission to bring top tier performances, music educational events and new work to audiences.
Mission accomplished
American-born Dr Taub has most definitely ticked each and every box in his Mission Statement, indeed many times over, both as an international concert-pianist, a highly-respected academic and eminent authority on Beethoven Sonatas, and curator of extremely original themed-programmes that comprise each season of the annual Musica Viva concert series. There are numerous articles about Bob, but might I suggest that a particularly good read is to be found in local journalist, Su Carroll’s biopic in ‘Devon Life’ Magazine (07/02/23).
Dr Bob Taub has most definitely ticked each and every box in his Mission Statement, indeed many times over
However, while Bob Taub has yet to go public, I can reliably inform you that he will be stepping down after the Takács Quartet concert. At a recent informal chat over a cup of coffee, Bob informed me: ‘I’m retiring (effective 30 April 2025) from my position as Music Director of The Arts Institute at the University – but I’m certainly not retiring from music!’
Naturally I was extremely saddened to hear of Bob’s decision, as will so many classical-music lovers in Plymouth and the surrounding area, but I do know it was something he certainly thought long and hard about. It will be a significant loss not only to the music life of the city, which is already severely challenged considering its physical size, as well as the university per se, but Bob’s mind is made up.
There is a little light at the end of the tunnel, since Bob was still prepared to come up with one more Musica Viva series, since, ever mindful of the need to book artists well in advance, he already had some irons in the fire for a 25/26 programme.
Let us hope that the University will recognise the many levels of value that Musica Viva brings to Plymouth and will find a way to continue the concerts. And it is good news that the two concerts planned for Autumn 2025 will still take place, featuring, respectively, Berlin-born cellist, Johannes Przygodda, who made his debut in the Berlin Philharmonie at the age of eight, and Chinese pianist, Pen Ling, who made her orchestral debut with Mozart’s Concerto in C, K 467, at the age of nine. She relocated to New York at fifteen, when she was offered a full scholarship to attend the Pre-College of the Juilliard School. Further academic honours followed, including an Artist Diploma from the Royal College of Music, and she is now based in London.
Bob explained: ‘Over the coming weeks, I will continue to be in touch with each of them regarding finalising their programme details. I expect that by the time of the Takács concert in mid-March, the programmes for Johannes and Peng will be confirmed. I will keep you posted!’
The moment Bob can give me the final details, I will share these here on my page at ArtsCulture, and via Social Media – together with any other information about the future, or not, of the Musica Viva Concert Series.
CLASSICAL WITH PHILIP R BUTTALL
top image: Takács Quartet
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