Apres un silence (1998) - John Casken
No-man's land lullaby (1996) - Eleanor Alberga
Sonata No 3 in G minor (1916) - Debussy
John Casken had not composed anything for about eight or nine months and that period of silence prompted the title of his new work, which received it first performance in the Lane Gallery on Sunday. Lesley Hatfield (violin) was the dedicatee and, together with Bill Lloyd (piano), gave an impassioned performance, reminiscent at times of the dance movements of Shostakovich. In one movement, whose sections alternated between agitation and calm, it could have been questions and answers, but its harmonic and melodic structures held it together in an unquestioning manner.
Eleanor Alberga's No-man's land lullaby was inspired by a visit to Europe (she was born in Jamaica) and meditations on two World Wars. The piece was very much a threnody and its long melodic lines were made expressive by a sweet and caressing tone.
Debussy's musical language has become so familiar that his unusual harmonies seemed pallid after the Dionysian vigour of Casken and the plangent memorial of Alberga. It might have been wiser to have placed it first in the programme.
