Concert review: Israeli Chamber Project

The versatile and virtuosic Israeli Chamber Project presented ‘Homage’, a programme investigating and celebrating sources of musical inspiration. The ensemble began with Mozart’s Violin Sonata K317 in an arrangement by the slightly later Johann Anton André for clarinet quartet, which the musicians of the ICP played with fine balance and thoughtful colour changes.

Jörg Widmann’s Once Upon a Time for clarinet, viola and piano followed – a work inspired by fairy tales in general and Schumann’s Fairy Tales in particular – and it was, as pianist Assaff Weisman promised, ‘a wild roller coaster ride’. Violist Wenting Kang demonstrated her soulful sound from the outset and her virtuosity became evident as the movement progressed. The performance from all three musicians was imaginative but also given with such intention and command that the work’s difficulty simply became a part of the fabric of the score, its extended techniques (including using a wooden spoon on the piano) integrated very convincingly.

Brahms’s op.60 Piano Quartet ended the programme and violinist Kobi Malkin’s sheer intensity brought the passion and intensity of the work to life. The moderate tempo of the first movement allowed for its sense of tension to be fully captured. Cellist Michal Korman’s beautiful cello playing at the opening of the Andante was another rapturous moment, and the finale really demonstrated the ensemble’s artistry, and the standing ovation was well deserved.

Leah Hollingsworth