The comparativist

C hetham's paid Christ Church's Summer Midweek programme a visit earlier today, where more than one hundred music-supporters were delighted to receive violinist Harmony, tubist Ceirion, and singer Evelyn, who performed accompanied by Gemma Webster. Harmony performed the lengthy «Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso» of Camille Saint-Saëns wherein she showcased her dynamic range, masterfully alternating between piano and forte musical passages. This piece is a demanding one, especially when it playfully invites the pianist to play the violin's part while the violin imitates lengthy (and difficult) arpeggios. If one were judging the difficulty based solely on the results, one might have concluded that there was little to these passages: such was the dexterity of the deterministically named Harmony.. Of Ceirion’s contribution, the «Capriccio for tuba & piano» stood out to me. This Rodney Newton capriccio, with its multiple versions, is quite popular for good reason: its...