Written by Jackie Warner There was a welcome return for the West Wight Arts Association concerts last Saturday and what an opener to the season! Three international solo artists came together as a trio, a rather unusual one being the singer Anna Huntley, the trombonist Peter Moore and the pianist Michael McHale. They performed a long list of pieces, many of which had been composed for voice and horn, but translated beautifully to voice with the almost human sound of the trombone, together with the sensitive accompaniment of the piano. They began with Schumann’s So wahr die Sonne scheinet which is an emotional duet that unites two voices in close harmony, with here the trombone being the second voice.
The piece evoked the steadfast commitment between Robert and Clara Schumann, a true tale of love. Liszt transcribed Schumann’s Widmung, a wedding gift to Clara and retitled it Liebeslied and it is considered one of the greatest piano transcriptions. Michael McHale played this solo piano piece beautifully and showcased what a gifted pianist he truly is.
There followed more songs performed by all three artists on the subject of love, including Massenet’s Amours benis which tells the journey of love, and Luigi Denza’s J’ai peur de l’aimer, admirably capturing the fear of falling in love. They then moved into a lighter theme for the remainder of their recital. Firstly, the evergreen A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and then Kurt Weill’s The Saga of Jenny which was .