Emma Johnson - Reviews
SCHUBERT OCTET on SOMM RECORDINGS/EMMA JOHNSON & FRIENDS
"There's a strong feeling of a group of like-minded musicians revelling in playing life-enhancing music for pleasure and as a team. I enjoyed this expert and always smiling performance very much indeed and it's evident from the vociferous applause at the end that the audience enjoyed it just as much. With an hour and a quarter of delightful music in first-rate performances this disc is a winner."
[John Quinn, Music Web International]
Recital with John Lenehan in the Lake District
“Wonderful could be the adjective used to describe the Midday Concert Club’s most recent recital. However related words like ‘amazing’,‘awesome’, ‘extraordinary’, ‘fantastic’, ‘phenomenal’ and ‘remarkable’ would be equally appropriate. It is but rarely that the club is privileged to witness musicianship of the quality proffered by the clarinettist, Emma Johnson and her pianist partner, John Lenehan. They are old friends of the club, we have heard them before, we knew what was coming, and come it did!
Their splendid programme illustrated their wide-ranging versatility: the classical (Brahms’ imperious F minor clarinet sonata, Nino Rota’s D major Clarinet Sonata) vying with a scintillating array of works and arrangements by Bernstein, Templeton and Benny Goodman, all having jazz as their fundamental element. Throughout, whatever the medium, we were treated to superb music-making at the heart of which was immaculate ensemble work, sheer beauty of sound, stunning technical finesse, perfect balance, a buoyant joie de vivre, a total understanding of the demands of their music and an attractive union with their admirers. Generous with their encores, they sent us away happy and content, yet sorry that the precious hour had ended.”
Brian Paynes, Westmorland Gazette
Recital in Royal Leamington Spa
“A hugely successful visit- ten out of ten!”
“Johnson’s level of control, lithe delivery and use of a non-playing hand to create emotion and sensuality remains unsurpassed. At times
she promotes a devilish mischief, at other times meticulous detail when the music demands it. For the first half performance of 19th century composers – Weber, Chopin and Brahms, she wore a long vermillion dress: her interval change prior to the twentieth century composers revealed a black-booted star wearing a sparkling sleeveless mini- what a transformation!”
“She generated high levels of engagement with the audience, maintained her level of enthusiasm..and the emotion of the playing…Her pre concert talk attracted the largest gathering for such an event for many a year.”
Leamington Spa Courier
Recital in Bonn
“Johnson played brilliantly with rhythmic precision but above all with a pianissimo that is unrivalled.”
General Anzeiger Bonn
Recital in Los Angeles Ambassador Auditorium
“The charismatic young English musician offered an interesting and accessible, mostly 20th century program, a lively stage presence, engaging spoken comments on the music and a performing persona both intimately and forcefully communicative. In
Schumann’s Fantasiestücke she went right to the heart of its lyricism, shaping alluring, ethereal and dappled phrases as need be. To John Ireland’s 1943 Fantasy Sonata and Poulenc’s 1962 Sonata she brought a volatility of expression, searing and vehement one moment, breakable and intimate the next. She captured the sweet melancholy of the central movement of the Poulenc perfectly.”
Los Angeles Times
CONCERTO REVIEWS
RECITAL REVIEWS
CHAMBER
"There's a strong feeling of a group of like-minded musicians revelling in playing life-enhancing music for pleasure and as a team. I enjoyed this expert and always smiling performance very much indeed and it's evident from the vociferous applause at the end that the audience enjoyed it just as much. With an hour and a quarter of delightful music in first-rate performances this disc is a winner."
[John Quinn, Music Web International]
Recital with John Lenehan in the Lake District
“Wonderful could be the adjective used to describe the Midday Concert Club’s most recent recital. However related words like ‘amazing’,‘awesome’, ‘extraordinary’, ‘fantastic’, ‘phenomenal’ and ‘remarkable’ would be equally appropriate. It is but rarely that the club is privileged to witness musicianship of the quality proffered by the clarinettist, Emma Johnson and her pianist partner, John Lenehan. They are old friends of the club, we have heard them before, we knew what was coming, and come it did!
Their splendid programme illustrated their wide-ranging versatility: the classical (Brahms’ imperious F minor clarinet sonata, Nino Rota’s D major Clarinet Sonata) vying with a scintillating array of works and arrangements by Bernstein, Templeton and Benny Goodman, all having jazz as their fundamental element. Throughout, whatever the medium, we were treated to superb music-making at the heart of which was immaculate ensemble work, sheer beauty of sound, stunning technical finesse, perfect balance, a buoyant joie de vivre, a total understanding of the demands of their music and an attractive union with their admirers. Generous with their encores, they sent us away happy and content, yet sorry that the precious hour had ended.”
Brian Paynes, Westmorland Gazette
Recital in Royal Leamington Spa
“A hugely successful visit- ten out of ten!”
“Johnson’s level of control, lithe delivery and use of a non-playing hand to create emotion and sensuality remains unsurpassed. At times
she promotes a devilish mischief, at other times meticulous detail when the music demands it. For the first half performance of 19th century composers – Weber, Chopin and Brahms, she wore a long vermillion dress: her interval change prior to the twentieth century composers revealed a black-booted star wearing a sparkling sleeveless mini- what a transformation!”
“She generated high levels of engagement with the audience, maintained her level of enthusiasm..and the emotion of the playing…Her pre concert talk attracted the largest gathering for such an event for many a year.”
Leamington Spa Courier
Recital in Bonn
“Johnson played brilliantly with rhythmic precision but above all with a pianissimo that is unrivalled.”
General Anzeiger Bonn
Recital in Los Angeles Ambassador Auditorium
“The charismatic young English musician offered an interesting and accessible, mostly 20th century program, a lively stage presence, engaging spoken comments on the music and a performing persona both intimately and forcefully communicative. In
Schumann’s Fantasiestücke she went right to the heart of its lyricism, shaping alluring, ethereal and dappled phrases as need be. To John Ireland’s 1943 Fantasy Sonata and Poulenc’s 1962 Sonata she brought a volatility of expression, searing and vehement one moment, breakable and intimate the next. She captured the sweet melancholy of the central movement of the Poulenc perfectly.”
Los Angeles Times
CONCERTO REVIEWS
RECITAL REVIEWS
CHAMBER
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