Barry
Millington in the Evening Standard, 3rd May 2007 on recital with Thomas Gould
in Purcell Room, London...
'Given
the received wisdom that Schoenberg is death at the box office, it's always gratifying
to find a good house for this wonderful composer. Last night's recital by the
violinist Thomas Gould and pianist John Reid included the Four Pieces Op7 by Schoenberg's
laconic pupil Webern, as well as his Phantasy, Op47. But this audience, boosted
no doubt by the free admission made possible by the Martin Musical Scholarship
Fund, seemed to take it all in its stride.
Gould and the hugely impressive
Reid proved ideal advocates of this repertoire. In the Schoenberg they projected
passion, mystery and suspense, as though unfolding a dramatic narrative.
The
Webern crystallised full-throated lyricism, brooding introspection and expressionist
angst in the miniature structures that make up this rewarding work.
Notwithstanding
his ability to encompass both the minimal vibrato of historically informed style
and a sweetness of tone that recalled an earlier, more Romantic, school of playing,
Gould's account of Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata was compromised. Perhaps he meant
to suggest the "bowed guitar" that the extinct Viennese instrument resembled,
but his unduly self-effacing approach to the music left no room for Reid's contribution,
which inevitably overwhelmed his own.
There were no such problems in the
Brahms Sonata in G major. Gould's playing is full of breathtaking shifts of perspective
and colour and his double-stopping is admirably secure.
Reid, too, brings
an extraordinary musical intelligence to bear, and this was a reading informed
both by inventive turns of phrase and a compelling over-arching logic.'
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Daily
Information, Oxford, 17th October 2006 on performance of Wolf Italian Songbook
in Holywell Music Room...
'After
a full day's work and a lengthy commute home Monday night, I wasn't sure if I
had it in me to cope with another bus ride to town for a voice recital. But even
before the first note, at the point when singer and accompanist take their first
synchronised breaths, I knew I had made the right choice…John Reid's playing was
as confident and assured as I imagine the cocky and exuberant Wolf's might have
been. He particularly took advantage of the ample opportunities within the arrangements
to exploit their range of expression, chromaticism and a propensity to put off
harmonic resolution for as long as is possible.'
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Eastern
Daily Press, 9th May 2006 on trio concert in the Assembly House, Norwich as part
of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival...
'Despite
all predictions, the sun came out at lunchtime in Norwich, but it was only here
that the rays of musical talent beamed down. Performing were Thomas Gould (violin),
Louisa Tuck (cello) and John Reid (piano). The postgraduate students of the RAM
displayed their prowess with a performance of Beethoven's Variations in E flat
opus 44 and Schubert's Piano Trio in Eflat D929. An emotive, and not overly indulgent,
performance displayed beautifully the similarities of these great Romantic composers
while allowing their individual characters to shine through.
These musicians
had an energy that abounded, producing a truly cohesive blend throughout, knowing
how and when to produce the right tone and quality to allow each other to shine
while sensitively addressing changes in key, tempo and mood. A masterclass in
piano-playing in itself, Reid has a technique to be envied. From the very beginning
these young musicians imbued quiet confidence, and this was well founded. Their
control of their instruments and understanding of the style was incredible.
As
is ever the case, the city continued to run its noisy route during the recital,
but this hardly detracted from the delightful rendition by these talented young
players.'
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'Accompanying
is John Reid, who is already making a name for himself, playing with skill and
sensitivity.'
Gramophone,
July 2005
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'[The]
performance of Kurtag's Requiem for the Beloved was voracious, tender, blanched
and desolate…Another golden age in the making? Quite possibly.'
Independent
on Sunday, 11th January 2004, on Park Lane Group concert at the Purcell Room
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'I
for one was wholly unprepared however for the sublime music that issued from the
grand piano. The contrast between a 'self-sufficient' solo instrument and the
testing fruits of ensemble playing could not have been more starkly illustrated…
Moreover he clearly loved [Ravel's Sonatine] and knew it inside out. So here was
an opportunity to close one's eyes and be transported from January in Swansea
to April in Paris and in the applause that followed he was rightly acclaimed by
Crwth's anonymous whooper.'
www.crwth.org.uk,
January 2003
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