London Mozart Players with Robert Taub (piano)
Minster Church of St Andrew
There could not have been a clearer message from local classical-music aficionados, that, if top quality artists and ensembles are brought to the city, there is the support out there.
Internationally-renowned London Mozart Players
St Andrew’s was jam-packed for a visit from the internationally-renowned London Mozart Players, the first event in a brand new series – Musica Viva – presented by The Arts Institute at the University of Plymouth. And the fact that the church was even full in time for everyone to hear the pre-concert talk, which started some thirty minutes before curtain-up, would seem to confirm that such support is not just skin deep. Either that, of course, or people wanted to get a good seat where their view wasn’t obliterated by one of the columns – the only real drawback the venue has.
It would also be fair to say that ‘hearing’ the pre-concert talk, except at the front, was not made any easier by there being just one handheld mike, to accommodate two speakers, especially when one quite rightly popped across to the piano for a musical example. But these were minor teething problems, and can easily be remedied on future occasions.
Riveted youngsters
The three works chosen for this unsurprisingly all-Mozart programme had literally something for everyone, and it was especially pleasing to see a good number of youngsters there, too. If they were anything like those sat in front of me, they were riveted to the performance – with not a single electronic device in sight.
Support
We are indebted to The Arts Institute, and the University of Plymouth for making all this possible and to the Vice-Chancellor Judith Petts CBE for her support voiced on the night.
Bob Taub
Of course, the final vote of thanks must go to Arts Institute Director of Music Bob Taub, not only for putting this ongoing concert series together, but also for taking an active part in this, and other performances to come.
You can read my full review of the present concert here at Seen and Heard International
The next event in the Musica Viva Concert Series takes place on Friday May 17 in the Sherwell Centre, University of Plymouth, at 7.30pm; there is a pre-concert talk at 7pm. Bob Taub joins the highly-acclaimed Dante Quartet for the Piano Quintet by Shostakovich, alongside string quartets by Debussy and Szymanowski (No 2).
Book now at www.plymouth.ac.uk/arts-institute
Philip R Buttall
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