By Giordano Durante

The Gibraltar Classical Music Society hosted another evening of classical music yesterday evening at Grand Battery House. Moving away from choral music this time, the programme featured chamber music and songs.

The Duo Atlantida started with a fine performance of the first movement of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata. Originally composed for a type of bowed guitar, it was played here in its arrangement for piano and viola. The piece opened with one of those typically sinuous, melancholy themes which pepper Schubert’s work. Pianist Maria Teresa Garcia Melero and violist Ana Gonzalez Sanchez confidently followed the shifts in melody and mood displaying plenty of fire when needed.

This was followed by five songs from Robert Schumann’s lieder cycle Dichterliebe (A Poet's Love) sung by Phillip Borge McCarthy accompanied by Michele Paccagnella. The local tenor gave a deeply expressive performance, moving his gaze across the audience to establish a personal connection. We forget, at times, the challenges of singing in a foreign language; singers must not only be aware of notes, pacing and phrasing but also accent. Phillip’s German pronunciation was convincing and this selection from a longer cycle makes me wonder whether he can be tempted to tackle a whole cycle, perhaps Schubert’s Winterreise, in the near future.

The Duo Atlantida then returned to the stage to perform Glazunov’s Elegia. Glazunov, a Russian composer who continued to write unabashedly tuneful, Romantic music well into the 20th century, wrote this piece as a memorial and its mournful strains gave the duo the opportunity to establish a good rapport between each other.  

Countertenor Anthony Roper De Almeida was next to perform three songs accompanied by Michele. The first was a Heine poem set by Liszt, (a piece that was unfamiliar to me), followed by Schubert’s well-known An Die Musik and Ständchen. Anthony’s higher tone worked well in these songs and his accompanist underlined the important point that, in Schubert’s lieder, the piano is no mere background companion but an equal participant whose notes, often reminiscent of the things mentioned in the text, determine the mood of the music.  

Max Bruch’s Romanza was next, performed by the Duo Atlantida. Once again, the pair delivered a passionate performance. Encountering less familiar works is one of the many benefits of attending concerts like this. There are so many pieces that are worthy of our attention beyond the standard repertoire but unfamiliar works need strong advocacy to win over listeners. The duo did not disappoint: they tackled this piece with complete commitment and its main theme was lodged inside me for the rest of the evening. 

Anthony, Michele and Ana were next with En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor, a song produced in the 1960s based on Rodrigo’s famous concerto. This was a real crowd-pleaser. The piano imitated the strumming of a guitar and Anthony was clearly enjoying the performance. 

The evening ended with the Duo Atlantida performing a transcription of Falla’s Suite Popular Española while the heavy rain drummed on the roof. From the opening plucks of the gypsy-influenced El Paño Moruno to the head-nodding rhythms of the final Asturiana and Jota, it was a high-spirited rendition and I am keen to see this duo explore more of the repertoire. 

The unsung star of the night was the venue: it turns out that Grand Battery House is—unexpectedly—a fine home for chamber music and lieder. For a start, it’s more intimate than the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (the society’s usual venue for choral evenings) and its high ceiling of wooden beams seems conducive to an impeccable sound distribution. 

Once again, the adventurous programming of Classical Music Society and the dedication of the performers conspired to make this a memorable evening of music and song. 

For further info about the society and upcoming concerts, visit: https://thegibraltarclassicalmusicsociety.com