Classical boy band provide gem of an evening

Leamington Chamber Orchestra, Leamington town hall, February 27.

IF their Bosse Nordins encore had preceded the Mozart, Nielsen and Beethoven works, one could be forgiven for believing the Danish String Quartet is the latest Viking blond boy-band to play Warwick Folk Festival.

As it happened, Bosse Nordins Scottish was a great way to conclude this gem of an evening. Together for ten years - only one change in personnel in that time - this foursome is a past winner of the Danish Radio P2 Chamber Competition (Denmark’s BBC Radio 3). They bring Scandinavian flair, steal the hearts of many in the audience and give a most convincing performance of Mozart’s String Quartet No 19, nicknamed Dissonance, on account of its unusually slow introduction.

The Danish String Quartet successfully campaigns to raise awareness of Denmark’s greatest composer, Carl Nielsen. Though best known for his six symphonies, Nielsen’s 1889 String Quartet in G was played with a freshness, panache and charm at no time compromised.

They managed, too, to bring drama to the third movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet in E flat (Sherzando vivace) with highly polished, uncluttered chamber playing.

Leamington Chamber Orchestra produced their own drama on Sunday afternoon with one of their very best efforts, Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. The classical, song-like, relaxed work, culminates in a representation of a child’s view of heaven. This was the chance for guest soprano, April Fredrick, to show why her career is most likely to take off now her PhD studies are complete and she finds herself a sympathetic agent. Her voice is pure; her encore, Richard Strauss’s Morgen! suited her perfectly.

Mahler is everywhere this year as his centenary is celebrated. Richard Laing coached his enhanced chamber musicians with considerable creativity and brought the very best from leader Eleanor Robson as she added drama and tension to the second movement playing the unusually tuned alternative violin. Anton Rosenfeld deserves special mention too as his horn playing was spot on.

Clive Peacock