Review: Irish Chamber Orchestra at University Concert Hall, Limerick

There was a cheerful buzz at University Concert Hall, Limerick, recently, as pupils of the ‘Sing Out With Strings’ programme tuned up for their interval, foyer performance at the Irish Chamber Orchestra concert. 

Youth prevailed in the main fare also. The programme, titled ‘Wunderkind 3’, was a triple-decker musical ‘sandwich’ as the ensemble, under guest conductor, Jörg Widmann, explored the string symphonies of a young Mendelssohn, adding outer ‘crusts’ of Prokofiev quintets and ‘a filling’ of Widmann’s own string duos.

For starters, Prokofiev’s attractive Overture on Hebrew Themes was performed in the original version for quintet, with pianist Hugh Tinney. Widmann added the characteristic klezmer on clarinet. The accoutrements of the aerial dance company, Fidget Feet, were suspended over the stage, adding a novelty, circus ambience. Aisling Ní Cheallaigh and Kathryn Cooley took centre stage, adding beguiling, aerial acrobatic manoeuvres to the closing work. Prokofiev’s Opus 39, subtitled ‘Trapeze’, (scored for oboe and clarinet, violin viola and, unusually, double bass) was conceived and performed as a ballet in 1925, although the rhythmic complexity was the source of tension between composer and choreographer. Oboist Daniel Bates joined Widmann on clarinet and the work, with its jazzy themes, made a bracing contrast to the string timbre of the symphonies.