Timothy Ridout in Recital
Crichton Collegiate Church 7/9/25
Timothy Ridout (viola)
Viola virtuoso Timothy Ridout gave the Lammermuir Festival morning concert of 7th September in the secluded rural location of the stunning medieval Crichton Collegiate Church, with a programme of solo pieces, almost all adapted from works originally written for other stringed instruments. Central to the recital was a selection of 5 of Telemann’s 12 Fantasias for solo violin. These were framed by works by Caroline Shaw, Benjamin Britten and Bach, of which Britten’s ‘Elegy’ was the only originally written for viola. The heady bouquet of slurry from the recently manured surrounding fields lent a certain concrete immediacy to the words ‘secluded rural’.
Caroline Shaw’s ‘in manus tuas’ (“into thy hands”, from the last pre-resurrection words of the crucified Christ) was inspired by hearing a Tallis motet performed in a candlelit church in New Haven, Connecticut and originally written in 2009 as a cello solo. It bears no similarity to the Vaughan Williams Tallis Fantasia, but has something of the meditative stillness of Arvo Pärt (if not the actual spareness). Quite a virtuosic piece, with pizzicato chords, rapid string-crossing arpeggiation over a held bass note, an ebb and flow of dynamics and timbre, drifting between sul tasto and sul ponticello bowing, and a host of other effects which added to the spellbinding expressiveness. In Timothy Ridout’s reading, it was totally convincing and compelling as a viola piece.
The first tranche of 3 Telemann Fantasias followed. My father, hardly a purist, took a very dim view of musicians ‘stealing’ each other’s repertoire and, whilst I don’t agree, I do believe there is an onus to justify the borrowing by delivery of a convincing and revelatory performance with committed advocacy. This responsibility Timothy Ridout discharged in full. We heard nos. 1, 2 and 4 of the set, in B-flat, G and D respectively, all in the major. Glorious tone and phrasing grabbed and held the attention. No.1 had 4 movements (only 3 on the printed programme), a lyrical Largo in 3, an ornate fast dance in 4 (with lovely bowing, alternating between courante and staccato), an elegiac sarabande-like Grave, and an athletic scrambling Allegro to conclude. No.2 opened with an arioso Largo with fabulously ornate double-stopping, followed by a pair of Allegros, a playful virtuosic fugue followed by a hectic jig. A gleeful Vivace dance in 3 opened No.4, followed by a short quasi-improvisatory Grave and finishing up with a tripping Allegro like a Brandenburg finale. All were utterly delightful. Telemann like it’s meant to be: any violist who can make violin music so beguiling has my blessing: “More power to his elbow”, say I.
If Telemann, why not Bach? The G-minor Solo Violin Sonata No.1 received the same treatment and, right from the start, it sounded great on the viola. The Adagio was gorgeously meditative with rich sonorities. The fugue was dramatic with the double-stopped string-crossing sequence a particular highlight. The Sicilienne was wistful and contemplative, a timeless cantabile and warm tone wrapping the listener in an embrace. The Presto was agile and driven, exploding with energy and dynamic variety. Right on the money.
After the interval, Britten’s ‘Elegy’ started with a sombre mournful mood with tasteful vibrato in imitation of the human voice. Contrasts included chromaticism set against leaps of pitch, suggesting conflicting emotions, calling to mind many a Shostakovich cello solo (like those in the 15th Symphony, for example). Meditative passages contrasted with outbursts of raw emotion. Rapid phrases contrasted with numb static ones. After a rush to the top register and a pause, the muted morendo epilogue was inconsolable. Perfect.
Two more delightful Telemann Fantasias followed, Nos. 7 in E-flat and 10 in D. The former had 4 movements, a fluent meditative Dolce, an agile joyful Allegro, a meditative wistful Largo that sustained the illusion of two voices in conversation, and a delicious scurrying Presto to finish. The latter opened with an agile playful Presto, long phrases with “Scotch snaps” in a mournful Largo and a gleeful rustic Allegro jig to finish.
Bach again, in the form of the Cello Suite No 1 in G major, concluded the advertised programme. The Prelude was eloquent and jubilant. The Allemande was idyllic with lots of stylish rubato and rallentando. The Courante was sprightly and gleeful (and for my money, more agile than it sounds on a cello). The Sarabande was exquisitely dreamy, imitative of the human voice, and seemed to float in the air. The elegant, idyllic Minuet 1 framed the wistful minor key Minuet 2. The robust and playful Gigue was agile and joyful. Ah, Bach.
Unsurprisingly, the encore was from another Telemann Fantasia, the Siciliana slow 3rd movement from the 6th Fantasia. Scrumptious.