Our House Is On Fire
Robin Green
Nature has been the backbone of the Vale Of Glamorgan Festival this year. Many works have been inspired by our natural world and new pieces have tried to capture bold frontiers. Utilising the now famous speech of youth activist Greta Thunberg in 2019 at United Nations Climate Action Summit, Helen Woods has set snippets to song in Our House Is On Fire. The spirit of Erik Satie lived here (a note confirmed by Helen post-concert) in the wry introspection, while soprano Jennifer Walker cut her teeth with great force: a real all-round performance and a sweet, informed voice.
On piano, Stephen Wood was faced with a role just as interesting as the sung material, with true physical prowess on the keys. This call to action variously demonstrates a supreme use of silence, the enunciation of particular words and a choice of relevant source material. Word has it Thunberg knows about the cycle, with family members in opera circles: a chance for her to hear it soon would be exciting.
We couldn’t seem to get enough of Robin Green, who wanted to treat us some more a second night at Cardiff University. A piano miniature from Thomas Adès, Darknesse Visible, proved of high value in both experiment and emotion. A little flutter for one hand with blunt lower keys begins the work, leading to a more Italian vibe; I found it quite absorbing, very strange and just lovely.
The University’s own Robert Fokkens got a premiere with his On Quietude And Dancing, with influences clearly in dance music and Henry Cowell. I began to lose some patience in the middle of the 20 minutes (comprising five movements), though strident trips into the piano strings were often a curiosity – some melodies, as if in aspic, could be detected throughout. Quite heavy, though not without value.
The music of John Adams had remained in my head all week (not to be confused with the festival’s focal composer for the year John Luther Adams) with his new opera Antony And Cleopatra at San Francisco Opera. Getting back into some of his previous work, I’ll admit I’ve given little time for his piano output. Robin brought out the big guns for Phrygian Gates, losing his academic veneer for a hefty, onslaught in the demands of the piece.
Somewhere in the middle ground of threshold dissonance and unrelenting minimalism, I found the fusion not without flaws: Phrygian Gates is a chance for Robin to test his stamina and concentration. While John Adams excels in orchestration, a huge selling point for his orchestral and operatic canon, his piano music is a taste I’ve yet to acquire.
Our House Is On Fire & Robin Green, Cardiff University Concert Hall, Mon 26 Sept
Vale Of Glamorgan Festival will return in 2023
words JAMES ELLIS