Jamal Aliyev (cello)
Hugh Mather (piano)
A wonderful afternoon of music making .Two sublime masterpieces played with such unassuming humility and joy – music making as Jamal has often told me ‘to play with Hugh is the joy of being able to make music without any pressure – real Hausmusik’.
And what a treat for us to be able to hear Amal as he has matured over the years from an exceptionally talented young musician – one of the stars of the Royal College – to a great artist.Such refined artistry without any histrionics but with such deep meaning . I have rarely heard the Arpeggione played with such sublime beauty.Or the grandiose opening of Beethoven’s A major Sonata played with such aristocratic nobility.The sheer exhilaration and heart on sleeve emotion of the Popper Hungarian Rhapsody not to mention the supreme virtuosity in the perpetuum mobile was something to marvel at.I heard traces of Liszt’s Rhapsodies too – n.12 and n.6 so expect they were traditional Hungarian folk songs used by Popper in this showpiece for cello.
None of this would have been possible ,of course, without the superb collaboration of Hugh Mather.Always there with Jamal in every twist and turn – and there were many- in Popper.But his musicianship and beauty of sound in Schubert and Beethoven were something to marvel at.Amazing the activity of Dott Mather – from consultant physician at Ealing hospital to pianist,organist,organiser,father and grandfather.
Behind every great man,though,there is invariably a great woman .His wife Dott Felicity Mather is always there with her wonderful tea and cakes not to say so much more behind the scenes.What a pair they are and how lucky Ealing is to have them bring such glory as they help young musicians reach out to a world that awaits.
Schubert: Sonata in A minor D821 ‘Arpeggione’
Allegro / Adagio / Allegretto
Beethoven: Cello sonata in A Op 69
Allegro / Allegro / Adagio – Allegro
Popper: Hungarian Rhapsody Op 68
Jamal Aliyev was born in Baku, Azerbaijan and studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and at the Royal College of Music with Thomas Carroll, where he completed his Masters. He is currently undertaking an Artist Diploma at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. In 2017 Jamal made his BBC Proms debut and won the Arts Club – Sir Karl Jenkins Music Award. His debut CD Russian Masters was released by Champs Hill Records to critical acclaim. He was selected by Young Classical Artists Trust in 2017 and Concerts Artists Guild in New York in 2019. He has appeared as soloist with the City of Birmingham Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, London Mozart Players, CBSO Youth Orchestra, Istanbul Symphony, the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Turkey and the Symphony Orchestra Simón Bolívar of Venezuela. Highlights include performances of the Elgar Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tomsk Philharmonia, the latter as part of the Trans-Siberian Festival. He gives recitals throughout the UK including Wigmore Hall and Saffron Hall, and records with Fazil Say.
Hugh Mather studied the piano and organ from an early age, gaining the FRCO and the ARCM piano performers diplomas. He then pursued a medical career and was Consultant Physician at Ealing Hospital from 1982 to 2006, before retiring to pursue his musical interests. He continued his piano studies with James Gibb for many years, and gave countless concerts at St Mary’s Perivale, St Barnabas and elsewhere, as concerto soloist, recitalist, accompanist and chamber musician. More recently he has concentrated on organizing concerts. He has been Chairman of the Friends of St Mary’s Perivale since 2005, and has organised over 1100 concerts there, as well as a further 600 at St Barnabas Church.
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