Young cellist excels at Weymouth recitals (From Dorset Echo)

Young cellist excels at Weymouth recitals

2:30pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Stage By Janet Ferrett

WEYMOUTH’S lunchtime recitals are going from strength to strength and St Mary’s Church was packed with people eager to hear amazing young cellist Benjamin Birtle, accompanied by Duncan Honeybourne.

The first work was Beethoven’s lovely sonata in D major. The rich tones of the cello rang out throughout with skill and sensitivity, from the splendidly confident opening allegro through the highly emotional adagio to the final, skittish allegro fugato.

Rachmaninov’s four-movement sonata in G minor is on an altogether grander scale. It bristles with technical difficulties, especially in the piano part. Like most Russian music it is full of passion, the gorgeous slow movement leads to a huge climax, only to die away to nothing. The last and fastest movement ends with a final flourish and breakneck speed.

The total silence of the audience throughout was a real tribute to the musicians. I was carried away and cannot find a single hole to pick in their performance.