Proms at ... Cadogan Hall 3: Ancient Rituals and New Tales – 30.07.18

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

13:00
Cadogan Hall



Joseph Tawadros: Tawasim Kord; Constellation; Work; Permission to Evaporate

Jessica Wells: Rhapsody for solo oud
BBC commission: world premiere

Joseph Tawadros: Gare De L'est; Heal; Eye of the Beholder; Forbidden Fruit

Joseph Tawadros (oud)

Cairo-born, longtime Sydney-resident oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros has reimagined the range of music accessible to his instrument, the ancient Middle- Eastern lute.

Steeped in traditional Arabic music (his grandfather was a respected composer, oud player and violinist) but also an avid collaborator with a diverse array of musicians, he draws equally on jazz and folk styles in a kaleidoscopic celebration of his instrument.

His debut at the Proms embraces traditional Arabic taqsim (improvisation) and maqam (pieces based on traditional scales) as well as his own compositions, and the world premiere of a BBC commission by Australian composer Jessica Wells.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm uncertain of who composed what here.

Advice would be appreciated.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I'm uncertain of who composed what here.
Advice would be appreciated.

Apart from Jessica Wells' Rhapsody, it looks as if all the other eight works are compositions and/or improvisations for solo Oud by Joseph Tawadros (some new, some from his various albums).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

[bluestateprommer]

Well, that was different, an hour of much hyper-energetic playing from Joseph Tawadros. You also get bits of stand-up comedy from JT, including a bit of cultural self-mocking (or mocking the cultural expectations of others), in his in-between-numbers banter (e.g. a twist on Margaret Cho's line about "I look this way, but I talk this way"). The new Jessica Wells work was nice, with a slower starting section that morphed into more virtuoso fireworks, and also nice to know that she was present for this premiere. Perhaps the jokes did start to wear a bit thin by the end, and for me, his works began to blend into each other over the course of an hour, with the exception of Heal, kind of a still center of the concert, which JT mentioned that he composed following the deaths of his parents. No, this isn't J.S. Bach, but on its own terms, it's fun to hear, and JT is quite the virtuoso.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes - tremendously enjoyable Prom, and an engaging communicator. And, yes, got a bit "same-y" towards the end, but really glad I heard this. Recommended.

[edashtav]

Yes - tremendously enjoyable Prom, and an engaging communicator. And, yes, got a bit "same-y" towards the end, but really glad I heard this. Recommended.

The ‘chat’ did get on my nerves to the point where I willed Mr Barking from Continuity to put an end to things. I was fascinated by what bsp referred to as hyper-engetic playing, wondering how he could accurately play so many notes per second but then I realised that his music was made from cells or figures and he was playing units not individual notes. One hour of oud ought to suffice!

[Constantbee]

Haven't heard this yet but I'm looking forward to comparing this concert with Dafher Youssef who I enjoyed very much on Jazz J to Z at the weekend. I'm wondering what those who attended thought of the sound quality from where they were sitting in the venue. I still can't get over how poor Jean Rondeau's harpsichord sounded from my seat upstairs. I think the ticket buying public are entitled to some idea of what the shortcomings of a venue might be. It's a very long and stressful journey for people like us, you know I might have to bring Giles' Grandma with me next time

[CallMePaul]

I was unable to hear this live and it sounds like I missed a very interesting concert. I will try to listen to the repeat on Sunday.

[Richard Tarleton]

The ‘chat’ did get on my nerves

Likewise. His remarks near the start about the lineage of the üd as ancestor of lute and guitar were of course wrong - the guitar's evolution is quite distinct, whereas the üd and lute have a common ancestor. Enjoyable playing spoilt by chat and laughing at his own jokes.