Round the world (or some of it) in 80 minutes

Or was it 90 minutes? This amazing evening of music from round the globe flew by so quickly that one can’t be sure, but what one can be sure about is that the audience loved every minute of it!

From the first number – an emotive amalgam of Greek music and Klezmer – we were hooked. The three brilliant members of the Kosmos Ensemble, Harriet MacKenzie, violin, Meg-Rosaleen Hamilton, viola, and Milos Milivojevic, accordion, have been playing together for over 17 years; and their miraculous rapport allows for split-second tempo changes, perfectly balanced switch-overs between melody and accompaniment, and plentiful moments for each member to demonstrate their extraordinary individual virtuosity whilst never losing the sense of ensemble.

The arrangements, all lovingly crafted by Kosmos, are at once highly original and extremely successful, with references to well-known melodies by composers such as Satie, Saint-Saens and Vaughan Williams appearing amongst the less familiar music from Greece, Serbia, Ukraine, Scotland and Argentina.

We were treated to Piazzolla, but not just the well-known tango with which they returned after the interval, but to his peaceful Ave Maria, where the lovely viola melody segued seamlessly into the equally lovely accordion melody, with the accompaniment both above and below perfectly balanced.

We had a fascinating take on a Scottish reel, entitled Pinnacle Ridge, where the drone bass below lively folksy fiddle immediately suggested traditional bagpipes, albeit with some complex rhythmic twists! And we had a highly effective dramatic treatment of a Serbian poem, written centuries ago by a soldier, with the solemn spoken lines interpreted by the plangent tone of the viola, and Milos alternating between a sustained bass line and light-touched improvisatory embellishment.

An original treatment of Sarasate’s well-loved Zigeunerweisen brought the first half to a tumultuous close, with violinist Harriet displaying to perfection first the slow yearning of this Roma-inspired music, and then the excitement of the final frenetic dance, where all three players appeared to have as much fun as the delighted audience! What a show-stopper!

And after the Piazzolla tango came something totally different: a unique take on a Corelli concerto grosso. Here the opening adagio was full of slow, luscious suspensions, then we were straight into a lively allegro, then back to the adagio – highly enjoyable, and excellent programming before another tango, this time a new work written for the ensemble by Pirotti. With added percussion from the string players, this was a highly successful blend of the reflectively sensuous, and the lively rhythmic qualities one associates with this dance.

Then came the Lark – first ascending, then twittering over a Swan, and ending with a ferocious finale which showcased the astonishing virtuosity of all three players, even chasing each other round the stage! The audience needed more, and were given the perfect encore – Monti’s ever-popular Czardas – which predictably brought the house down. A fantastic ending to a fantastic evening of music around the world!

Review by Jane Thomas, 22.09.2024