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'Friday 13th February was a lucky day for members
and visitors to the Bridport & West Dorset Music Club. They were
entertained by a superb performance from the Piano Duo of Simon
Crawford-Phillips and Philip Moore. The programme contained two
transcriptions of major orchestral works and three pieces originally
written for four hands on one piano. The evening began with a short reflection on the
importance of the piano duet as a vehicle for spreading musical
appreciation, going back to the 19th century when many homes had a piano,
and many evenings were given over to the enjoyment of playing music.
In Schubert's Variations on an Original Theme, several
fascinating patterns in the lower register accompanied the mellifluous
tunes we associate with him, brought out in a performance of sympathy and
understanding. Next came three movements from a transcription of Ravel's
Daphnis and Chloe, the atmospheric representation of the love of a Greek
goatherd for a shepherdess. Punctuated by some very percussive chords from
the piano, the music flowed expressively in the hands of the players, and
the bucolic themes of the ancient world came to life in Ravel's music of
1911, commissioned for the Ballets Russes.
After the interval Brahms's Variations on a theme of
Schumann, perhaps a tribute to his great friend, proved to be an uplifting
combination of forward moving chordal progressions so typical of Brahms.
Again the performers excelled in technique and feeling for the essence of
the music. Before the main item the Duo played a brilliant piece by
Mendelssohn exhibiting all the delicacy of his writing.
The final item, three movements from The Firebird
Suite of 1910, was the most impressive. Commissioned by Diaghilev for the
Ballets Russes, as Ravel was for Daphnis and Chloe, the music illustrates
another fairy story: Ivan, the Tsarevich wandering through the magic
garden, is captured by the ogre Kashchei, but the Firebird casts a spell
on him. Stravinsky builds up the Finale to a shattering climax in which
all his subtle changes of time and rhythm were expertly handled by the
Duo. Stravinsky composed at the piano, which goes some way to explaining
why the orchestral score, in Philip Moore's own transcription, translates
back to the piano so well.
The evening's entertainment, enjoyed by all, was one
of the best concerts the Music Club has put on.'
PHS
'This BBC Lunchtime concert
brought together two exciting young British musicians in a programme where
they took turns to take the lead, and what playing they treated us to.
The Rachmaninov [Symphonic
Dances] is, of course, better known in its orchestral version but
the composer made this version for two pianos at the same time as he made
the orchestral score and it is true piano music – one is never wishing
for the colour of instrumentation so easily does the music fall under the
fingers and with playing of such high calibre as this there was an
abundance of shading available for us to enjoy. I was especially impressed
with the tone colour [employed by Moore] in the second subject
of the first movement – the tune given to the saxophone in the
orchestral version – it was warm and fluid, with such an easy feel and
restrained use of rubato. There was a marvellous swagger to the waltz and
the crazy, almost out of control, finale, was very well realised by the
players as the music careers towards the apocalypse, and the unceremonious
snuffing out of the work. This is real piano music and it couldn’t find
two better advocates as we had today.
The two piano version of Le Sacre du Printemps is, for me, less
successful. ... Don’t get me wrong, Moore and
Crawford-Phillips gave a superb performance but I found myself wishing I
was listening to Ravel’s marvellous, and subtle, transcription of
Debussy’s Nocturnes. But this is purely a personal view and I
cannot fault, and, indeed, would not wish to, the fine advocacy of these
two young men who played as if possessed!
Whatever my reservations about Le Sacre du Printemps this was a
cracking show which was excellent in every way and it should not be missed
when it is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 ... .'
Seen and Heard International, February 2009
'Detlev Glanert’s Double Concerto, deftly and
dexterously premiered by pianists Philip Moore and Simon
Crawford-Phillips, was an overt celebration of the grand Romantic
tradition, specifically the Russian tradition, and, precisely,
Prokofiev’s Second and Third Concertos, and Rachmaninov’s first
three. Great fun, brilliantly written and a hugely effective concert
piece in its own right. Top-playing throughout.'
Glasgow Herald, March 2008
'Detlev Glanert's Double Concerto offered a level of fantasy and
exhilaration hard to find in contemporary music. Old-world appurtenances
fragment as he whisks us on a journey through space - to Mars. The seed
material is a little scale in thirds, running up and down, which Glanert
the magician turns it into a pulsing particle of matter, constantly
mutating and exploding. Moore and Crawford-Phillips proved ideal
spacemen, with Brabbins and the orchestra riding alongside. This was a
concert worth paying good money for.'
The Times, March 2008
'Real magic summoned from 176 keys - It's a
striking image, seeing the stage set ready for a two-piano recital:
two huge shining monsters locked head-to-head, two fearsome rows of
88 teeth, legs firmly planted. Yet the medium is one of great empathy
and trust, and composers have often confided their most intimate thoughts
to it - particularly so when the music was written for themselves
to perform with someone special. Mozart's D major Sonata is
such a work, premiered by the composer himself and one of his most
gifted young lady pupils. Far more than a mere display-piece, it
drew from its creator some of his most profound, sophisticated
effects, interchanges rippling deliciously between the pianists.
As they did on Friday, when Simon Crawford-Phillips and Philip Moore
delighted a Bromsgrove Concerts audience with an absolutely gorgeous
programme.
They actually began at
one piano with Schubert's haunting late F minor Fantasia for piano
duo, giving it a sense of numbed desolation which brought it close to
the world of its contemporary Winterreise. The tonal colouring which
is such a feature of these young men's partnership here made subtle
points of the composer's harmonic richness. At the other end of this
rewarding evening their colouring was deployed in almost orchestral
terms in a driving, physically punishing account of Stravinsky's Rite of
Spring (perhaps those two monsters engaging after all),
well-structured and constantly exciting.'
The Birmingham Post, February 2007
'Not heard as often as it deserves to be, the
combination of two pianos is one that offers up all sorts of possibilities
for composers and performers. Best exploited on both fronts at this
morning concert was Brahms' Sonata in F minor Op34b, which in the four
hands of Simon Crawford-Phillips and duo partner Philip Moore was a
revelation. Starting off its life as a string quintet the composer had too
many doubts about, the two piano version has a vivid energy and rich
texture which the seamless synergy of these two players drew out to
maximum effect. The sweeping tempi and changing dynamics upped and downed
together as if controlled by one being.'
The Scotsman, September 2004
' ... If ever there were perfect uses of showing
delicate grace, good humour and substantial elegance through simple scales
and the Alberti bass, it's in Mozart's joyous Sonata in D for 2
Pianos; and that's exactly how Moore and Crawford-Phillips conveyed
it. This was the first performance that I've heard recapture the
near-perfect style of the Brendel-Klein recording. When this duo
return to Fairfield, make sure you get your ticket, for they're clearly
destined for great things as the finest duo in the market right now, and
in a highly competitive field.'
Croydon Advertiser, April 2004
'The fondest of farewells - ... There was a
lightening of the heart in third part of this concert, launched with the
hilarious lampoon of Wagner's "Ring" that Fauré and Messager
enshrined in their cheeky Souvenirs de Bayreuth for piano duet, played
with a delightfully straight face by Simon Crawford-Phillips and Philip
Moore.' (Director's Festival Gala Concert, Wigmore Hall,
London)
Daily Telegraph, May 2003
' ... May 10, the culmination of the Director's
Festival of 43 concerts, and Lyne's self-selected retirement grand
finale. Schubert raised the curtain: Simon Crawford-Phillips and Philip
Moore duetted in the late Rondo in A major, trilling and purling its way,
it seemed, into eternity.' (Director's Festival Gala Concert,
Wigmore Hall, London)
The Times, May 2003'
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'In the seven years since their hands joined forces on
a keyboard, Simon Crawford-Phillips and Philip Moore have evolved into the
finely-honed piano duo heard on 7 September at the Wigmore Hall. ... Their
playing of Debussy's Epigraphes Antiques was exquisitely detailed
and coloured ... To conclude, we were rewarded with a sensational
performance of Philip Moore's transcription of Stravinsky's Firebird,
which sprang from their fingers with all the brilliance and vigour of
an orchestral performance.'
Musical Opinion, January/February 2003
'Superb piano duo play with emotion, sparkle and
charm - I have never heard such a demanding piano duo programme as
that offered by Philip Moore and Simon Crawford-Phillips. Their artistry
was superb ... The grand finale, Rapsodie Espagnole by Ravel, brought the
house down: deeply emotional, romantic, Spanish to the core, sparkling and
brilliant.'
Dorset Echo, October 2002
'AWARD-winning piano duo Philip Moore and Simon
Crawford-Phillips put on a stunning display of piano masterpieces in
contrasting styles. The ensemble was exceptional throughout the lunchtime
recital at the Bridgewater Hall [Manchester]. ... Flowing passages and
elaborate variations were performed with precision and gusto, and
additional ornamentation was clear and crisp. But it was the Ravel which
really captured the audience's attention ... The Schubert
Variations on an Original Theme became progressively more lavish and the
triplet passages, where both were playing the same complex rhythms in
tandem, were spotless. ... Three movements from Stravinsky's Firebird
Suite proved a stunning climax to a varied programme. ... on this
performance, it's easy to see why they are in such demand.'
Manchester Evening News, October 2002
' ... With Schubert's Andantino Variations D823 they
captivated ... . With light fingers and brilliant technique they
created a thoroughly convincing Andantino, every note full of feeling. ...
Schubert's Variations on a French Song D624 were melodic, euphoric and
dreamy; variation after variation was perfectly interpreted and
performed. ... With the last three movements of Stravinsky's
Firebird Suite, the duo moved like trapeze artists, with dangerously
breathtaking acrobatics. The perfection of the twenty fingers released a
real summer storm, in which the firebird played his game. This was
not the end of the surprises: frenetic applause produced as an encore
Bach's Chorale "Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit" ... '
Sarganserland, Switzerland - October 2002
'Philip Moore and Simon Crawford-Phillips fully
justified their already considerable reputation as a world class ensemble.
The short spoken introductions to each part of the programme were
enlightening ... Early on in the Mozart Sonata I realised that I had not
heard piano duet playing like this before. This was not one piano, four
hands, it came across as one person, four hands. It was intelligent
classical interpretation coming from one soul, the product not just of
intense musicianship but of hours of thought and preparation giving us a
unified insight into Mozart's music. Melodies were shaped immaculately and
where they crossed from one performer to the other the lines were
seamless.
Each half of the programme
concluded with a transcription of a huge orchestral score, sections of
Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe and of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. Both
performances were outstanding, both technically and musically, meticulous
in detail, vibrant and full of colour.'
Frome Festival review, July 2002
'The final stages of this [BBC Promenade] concert were
the best: a wittily pointed account, by Philip Moore and Simon
Crawford-Phillips, of Stravinsky's Concerto for two pianos, which almost
succeeded in defying the acoustics.'
The Independent, August 2001
'Sharp shots of adrenalin - A bonus in this
[BBC Promenade] concert was the piquant, spirited playing of Stravinsky's
Concerto for Two Pianos by Philip Moore and Simon Crawford-Phillips - a
real shot of adrenalin.'
Daily Telegraph, August 2001
' ... live music (in Stravinsky's own arrangement [of
The Rite of Spring] for two pianos) gave the performance the kind of oomph
and presence you just don't get from a disc. Simon Crawford-Phillips and
Philip Moore were the 20 fingers of steel.'
[Paul Taylor Dance Company at Sadler's Wells]
The Independent, November 2000
' ... The Simon Crawford-Phillips and Philip Moore
Piano Duo's sensitive musicianship and sense of style was noteworthy
throughout this distinguished recital.'
Newbury Weekly News, May 2000
'The first Wigmore Hall concert of the new century
was, in contrast to last week's valedictory evening, a sparkly soiree of
party pieces, performed by just the sort of young talent the hall has such
a reputation for spotting and sustaining ... The evening had begun with
Simon Crawford-Phillips and Philip Moore setting up some real party games
in Bizet's Jeux d'Enfants in its piano duet version.'
The Times - London, January 2000
'The Wigmore Hall greeted the New Year with a marathon
concert of "new stars" ...
The piano duo of Philip Moore and Simon Crawford-Phillips, for instance.
They opened proceedings at tea-time with Bizet's Jeux d'enfants , a suite
of 12 sharply inventive, subtly flavoured pieces which they played from
memory and with well-groomed restraint. ... Poulenc's Oboe Sonata , his
last work and one of his strongest, brought back François Leleux with
Philip Moore as a strong and characterful partner...'
The Independent, January 2000
'For the New Year, Moore & Crawford-Phillips
settled us comfortably for the long journey ahead with Bizet's Jeux
d'enfants, twelve charming pieces which demand pianistic skill of a high
order to make their best effect. They were played with pellucid tone,
uncongested texture and effortless unanimity...'
Music on the Web, January 2000
'Duo makes you gasp - With already a
substantial international career behind them as well as several radio
broadcasts, Philip Moore and Simon Crawford-Phillips proved an exceptional
piano duo in a programme especially sympathetic to the kind of audience
regularly assembled at these times. ... (It) served to establish
their firm sense of playing as if all expression were spontaneous.
... The most extraordinary piece was the memorised, substantial
"choreographed poem" La Valse by Ravel, in an inevitably
complicated transcription by Lucien Garban. ... In the absence of
the orchestra, the fullest sonorities were explored in a display of
technical wizardry at whose conclusion one could only gasp and ask: how
did they do that? It was even visually exciting as they unostentatiously
choreographed their playing to avoid being in each other's way when
playing wide glissandi. Their playing was a pleasure to watch, almost a
beautiful dance in itself. In their hands, nothing was lost.'
Croydon Advertiser, November 1999
'The debut recital at the Wigmore Hall by the piano
duo team of Philip Moore and Simon Crawford-Phillips could hardly have
been bettered. Here was duo playing of incomparable technical excellence,
the two playing as one throughout their demanding programme from memory.
Ravel's Mother Goose was quite brilliantly performed, but perhaps the
greatest musical playing in this recital came in Schubert's Variations in
A flat which was truly magnificent. The duo's account of Lucien
Garban's transcription of Ravel's La Valse was absolutely breathtaking.'
Musical Opinion, Spring 1999
' ... The second half of the well-attended Purcell
Room concert featured the highly polished Piano Duet team of Simon
Crawford-Phillips and Philip Moore, in a stimulating programme enhanced by
their clarity of approach and perceptive readings. ... With their
individuality and technical agility, they have a promising career ahead.'
Musical Opinion, Summer 1998 |
