Catalogue Connection: 21105

It would be hard to imagine higher praise for composer Ian Stephens (b. 1974) than that offered by violist Alan George, with the Fitzwilliam String Quartet member stating, “In his hands the string quartet is allowed to breathe, blossom, and resonate; and he is inherently alive to all the shades, nuances, and colours of which four stringed instruments—and a clarinet—are capable.” That later clarification presumably pertains to Stephens’ Clarinet Quintet, one of five chamber works performed on this release by George and his Fitzwilliam colleagues (violinists Lucy Russell and Andrew Roberts, and cellist Heather Tuach and Ursula Smith splitting the cello chair), with clarinetist Mandy Burvill and oboist Jonathan Small the featured soloists in their respective quintets.

In addition to the qualities highlighted by George, Stephens’ music is distinguished by melodic invention, fluid motion, formal clarity, and rhythmic vitality. There’s a cerebral dimension, certainly, but emotional expressiveness and theatrical flair too, with a judicious balance struck between them. The lyrical ache of traditional folk emerges also, perhaps most directly in the gentle Celtic Elegy, a short yet nonetheless potent scene-setter. The respect Stephens has for musical lineage is palpably felt in these performances; at the same time, he’s wholly capable of asserting his own voice and not letting his imagination be restricted by that legacy. The Devon-raised composer studied at the University of Bristol, established a longstanding relationship with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and now teaches at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. While chamber works are a key part of his output, his range of interests is broad, as indicated by the titles of his ballets Ella’s Big Chance: A Jazz Age Cinderella and Pinocchio.

Burvill and Tuach introduce the seventy-four-minute recording with the lovely Celtic Elegy, written by Stephens as a poignant homage to the music of the Celtic lands. Drawing for inspiration from the Irish air “She Moved Through the Fair,” the composition establishes its own identity in the yearning clarinet melody Stephens crafted for it and the cello’s bagpipes-like drones and accompaniment. He wrote the string quartet Springhead Echoes in 2017 in memory of Rosalind Richards, a violinist with whom Burvill and the composer (on double bass) performed at her Dorset home in 1999 and with whom the Fitzwilliam Quartet enjoyed a long relationship; similarly, the Clarinet Quintet was composed in 2017 in memory of Rosalind’s husband, Brian, an accomplished clarinetist. After asking her daughter if there were any particular pieces to which he might allude in his piece for Rosalind, Stephens selected Brahms’ Violin Sonata No.1 in G major, with each of the three movements weaving into its form material from the sonata. Applying the idea again, Stephens asked the Richards family if there were pieces Brian particularly loved and subsequently worked bits from “O welche Lust” from Beethoven’s Fidelio into each movement. An affecting Brahms-derived theme initiates the first movement of Springhead Echoes, but the abrupt shift from that restrained gesture to animated ones reflects its “Tranquillo – Con moto” marking (note the rather Fratres-like passage at the movement’s centre). The sinuous opening part’s supplanted by the jig-like moves of the “Vivo” movement, its buoyancy bolstered by polyrhythmic plucking that helps animate the bowed expressions. Interestingly, Stephens concludes the work with an adagio, though the choice makes sense given the memorial aspect of the piece. Indicative of his approach, heartfelt tenderness is expressed, but care is taken to ensure the material doesn’t lapse into sentimentality.

Positioned between the string quartet pieces, the Clarinet Quintet begins with a spirited “Con moto” movement, the timbral contrast between the woodwind and the strings clearly delineated. Burvill glides gracefully over the strings but also impresses when a stirring clarinet cadenza, softly accompanied by the quartet, emerges towards the movement’s end. Eschewing the standard fast-slow-fast format, the piece substitutes an “Agitato” for an “Adagio” movement, even if there are relaxed moments that offset the expected energized ones. A dream-like quality informs the closing movement, with Stephens granting the clarinetist long, flowing melodies and the music in general a soothing, restful tone. The second string quartet setting, North Country, finds Stephens re-imagining the folk tune “The Oak and the Ash” across three movements. A rustic folk character is established in the opening part, aptly marked “Lilting” to accentuate its spirit-replenishing sway. The subsequent “Heartfelt” movement blossoms from a gentle dirge-like intro into a jaunty dance tune that grows ever more impassioned before returning to its quieter beginnings. A dramatic left turn takes place when the canon-styled closing movement (“With abandon”) flirts with Latin-American rhythms and an almost Piazzolla-like feel.

Revisiting the memorial theme a final time, Stephens composed the Oboe Quintet in 2014 as a tribute to the late oboists David Dutch and Monica Nurnberg, well-known figures in Liverpool’s amateur music scene. In the mercurial opening movement (“Senza misura – Agitato – Vivace”), Small’s expressive oboe appears alone before the strings enter to flesh out the sound world and proceed to the first of many joyous dance episodes. Lyrical passages alternate with rousing rhythmic ones, with, again, contrast between the woodwind and strings pronounced. The central “Passacaglia” pulls for inspiration from Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Ich habe genug” and exudes the kind of dignity and grace one might expect. The clarity of its expression belies the intricacy of its writing (there are seven sections, each in a different time signature), with the natural sinuosity of the oboe showcased throughout. Rather than include with a lament, the work ends with rousing rustic dance passages, though again, in keeping with its “Molto vivace – Adagio – Molto vivace” marking, a gentle section is worked into its centre.

The material presented here makes one long to hear more from Stephens, and certainly the aforementioned titles Ella’s Big Chance: A Jazz Age Cinderella and Pinocchio pique one’s interest about those and the other works he’s created. As a representative sampling of his chamber writing, however, these five pieces provide a thorough and thoroughly rewarding account. No commentary on the release would be complete without mentioning the superb performances delivered by his sympathetic interpreters, the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, Burvill, and Small.

This disc includes five examples of Ian Stephens’ chamber music. The first three works use existing musical material. The Celtic Elegy is one of a set of Three Miniatures for clarinet and cello and is inspired by the Irish folksong ‘She moved through the fair’. 

There are a number of arrangements of this song for voice and piano, notably by Herbert Hughes, but it usually sounds most effective when sung unaccompanied. The use of two single line instruments captures the same spareness of the unaccompanied voice and while the source of the composer’s inspiration is detectable, the piece cannot be regarded as in any way derivative. Of particular interest is Stephens’ use of ornamentation and drones, which indicates the influence of the bagpipes.

The next two works are described as linked, being written in memory of Rosalind and Brian Richards. Commissioned by their daughters, the composer was asked to commemorate their parents who were both keen and accomplished amateur musicians. Springhead Echoes takes its title from the house in which Rosalind Richards was born and to which she retired. As she was a violinist, the composer asked for guidance as to any favourite pieces to which he might refer, and from a number of possibilities, he chose Brahms’s Violin Sonata No.1 in G major. 

As with the Celtic Elegy, Stephens approaches the pre-existing material with both skill and delicacy, and in a manner which tends to demonstrate his individuality as a composer, rather than any suggestion of artistic infirmity which can be a risk when including the work of another.

In the case of the Clarinet Quintet, Stephens was given a number of suggestions as to what favourite pieces of Brian Richards to which he might allude and chose the Prisoner’s Chorus from Fidelio.  This permeates all three movements of the Quintet, and twice the Brahms theme form Springhead Echoes is stated which forms the link between the two works.

The string quartet North Country takes the folk tune The Oak and the Ash as its starting point and is another demonstration of the composer’s skill in effectively making existing material his own. This also true of the Oboe Quintet, the most substantial of the works included here, at a duration of 23 minutes, in three movements of almost equal length. Here Stephens uses the chorale Ich habe genug. 

In the cantata by Bach based on it there is a prominent part for the oboe and the dedicatees were both keen amateur oboists. All the works clearly show the composer’s ability to write idiomatically for the instruments he chooses. There is both passion and lyricism in the writing and the music is both contemporary and yet grounded in the best tradition of British chamber music.

Ian Stephens is a Devon-born composer and arranger who is making a name for his well-written and colourful scores, skillful orchestrations and, given his wide range of music for a variety of forces, a ‘can do’ attitude that is admirable and refreshing.

The first work, Celtic Elegy, is simply scored for clarinet and cello, and reminds me of the Irish bagpipes playing a plaintive air. Especially effective are the open harmonies and drone-like character carried by the cello.

The three movement Springhead Echoes for string quartet is thoroughly engaging music with an approachable harmonic language, recognisable melodies, strong rhythms and an easy-to-follow structure. Modes are frequently a part of this language, adding to the overall charm, and a echo of antiquity. This is contemporary music without gimmicks and thoroughly enjoyable. I would not like to try to categorise this music, and this again is something that makes it so compelling.

This is followed by the three movement Clarinet Quintet, an excellent work which displays the character of the clarinet to the fullest, at one point rhythmic and tipping its hat to jazz, and at other times sweet and lyrical. One thing I appreciate also is that the clarinet is not over-dominant and every instrument plays its own important part. Each movement is full of contrast, and I was never bored or bewildered. There are moments of reflection and repose, and others of excitement and energy in each movement, but the work ends serenely.

The three movement string quartet North Country reveals Ian Stephens as both a composer and skillful arranger. He has arranged the folk song ‘The Oak and The Ash’ into three different dances. The first one, entitled ‘Lilting’, is in the manner of a Scottish air, whilst the second, ‘Heartfelt’, starts slowly and a little heavily, becoming lighter and more dancelike in the middle, with a return to the opening near the end, although this is noticeably more complex until the final few chords. The most inventive last movement, ‘With abandon’, is a tango, quite different to the other two movements, and reminds me a little of the spikyness of Piazzolla.

The Oboe Quintet, composed in 2014, was commissioned by the Liverpool-based Rodewald Concert Society, prompted by the deaths of two former committee members: David Dutch and Monica Nurnberg. I was immediately taken with this work, and in the first movement, there were more than a few moments whether I wondered if the composer had any familiarity with the oboe sonatas of Arnold Cooke, a composer I much admire, or the Sonata by Edmund Rubbra, as sometimes there were patches of melody or harmonic progression that reminded me of both composers.

The second movement is a passacaglia based on the chords of the opening of the Bach cantata Ich habe genug, which was a favourite of the two people who had passed – both oboists. The final movement is quite arresting and rhythmically quite varied, and the oboe is left to end the movement by itself. This is a substantial work taking over twenty-one minutes to complete, and has some of the most effective writing for oboe and strings that I know of, and it encompasses the full range of the instrument, including many notes in the highest register.

I highly recommend this recording of engaging and attractive music given by the venerable Fitzwilliam String Quartet, oboist Jonathan Small (who has long been a particular favourite of mine), and Mandy Burvill, previously unfamiliar to me, but a fine clarinettist. The attached notes are informative. I had stopped at the composer profile at the top, not realising that there were programme notes by the composer to follow, until I had all but written the review. They are indeed insightful, and reveal much about the circumstances around the creation of these works. Enjoy this disc – I certainly did.