This magnificent coherence of the oboe and the piano is on the screens of your smart devices!

LSO Coffee Session: Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Oboe and Piano performed by Juliana Koch & Simon Lepper LSO St Luke’s, London Recorded in June 2020, uploaded online on 21 December 2020

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-uUyiA6Dbk

As our lives and 'normals' changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the music industry was undoubtedly one of the most affected sectors by this situation. Concert halls have been shuttered. Recitals, gigs and festivals had been cancelled. However, as they say, "modern problems require modern solutions". Therefore many artists and music companies tried to find a way out of this economic depression by making the concerts, masterclasses and workshops live-stream. London Symphonie Orchestra has also introduced a new live-stream concert series called "Coffee Sessions" in April 2020. Their aim is to help people get a short music break each week during these problematic days mostly spent at home due to the national lockdowns worldwide. A magnificent performance of Francis Poulenc's last published piece, Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1962), took place in the final Coffee Session of 2020. It was performed by Juliana Koch, the principal oboe in LSO and pianist Simon Lepper, who is once described as a "revelation" by BBC Music Magazine. The concert was initially performed in June at LSO St Luke's without any physical audiences in the concert hall and reached the audience online.

The sections based on imitation, alternating between instruments, notably in the first movement (Elégie), were so fluid that they sounded like a melody played with a single instrument. The extreme control over dynamics due to the superior musicianship of both of these performers makes it feels like every note of the curious melodic line has an infinite dynamic range. The general sense of flexibility in the rhythmic structure built by the oboe's deeply moving straightforward four-measure phrasing approach and piano's gentle emphasise on the neo-classic lyricism Poulenc had in mind made the listener wander in a place that oscillates between hope and melancholy. Well-narrated pastoral made me feel like I was in a bushwalk; it was serene and peaceful, just like its tempo marking, "paisiblement". In the second movement, Scherzo, Lepper inaugurated the A section quite powerfully, just as he portrayed the passionate and vibrant writing habit of Poulenc's youth. I also have to admit that I was pretty impressed by his page-turning skills! On the other hand, Koch seemed to not only play but also breathe the music. Her gestures manifested strong self-reliance, both during her playing and during the moments of silence between movement sections. The dynamic diversity between and sometimes within musical expressions that offer a softer melodic line at a race-like rondo tempo and the beautiful contrast created by the emotional shift of the B part mainly developed by the piano was indeed worth listening to. Finally, during the third and probably the most profound movement, "Déploration", the chorale-like atmosphere was all over the performance. Both Koch and Lepper reflected the progressive spirit of the movement into their plays so skillfully that it made me listen to the piece with great interest to the end. Especially towards the much more clouded end of the piece, Koch's clear long and glorious notes, supported by Lepper's ghost piano chords, made me feel like I was in the final scene of a dramatic last movie. All through the performance, the cohesiveness between the two instruments was utterly pleasant, and homogenous It is wonderful to see that musicians develop new performing opportunities and hold on to them during these difficult times! What a great coffee break!

Diren Darbaz, May 2021