Pluck!, Saturday 25th June, Exeter Northcott
By Luch
Classical music and comedy fans were given a double treat on Saturday night when ‘incompetent’ string trio, Pluck!, came to the Northcott to share their hilarious, and highly talented, performance Musical Arson with us all.
After several changes of line up the current cast is made up of Kit Massey (violin), Brooke Day (viola) and Flora Allison (‘cello). Each vies with the other two for attention, entering into endlessly changing alliances in their attempts to outwit each other.
The opening number, Leroy Anderson’s Plink, Plank, Plunk, was a subtle and silly piece played entirely in pizzicato and returning over and again to those three big notes. Kit tries to be director of music as Flora and Brooke do their best to ignore or undermine his posturing.
With Brooke as his willing but incompetent assistant, Kit gave a series of lectures about the acoustic equipment of the twentieth century. Offenbach on a Victor HP180 gramophone, McCartney’s Eleanor Rigby on Lear eight-track and Pachelbel’s Canon and Gigue on Walkman.
In a masterpiece of timing, the sounds were produced backstage by Brooke and Flora (including glitches and track changes). Every recording turned out to be a rather special arrangement for violin and cello!
Also included in the first half were two helpings of Vivaldi’s L’Inverno – the second ending with Flora losing it and giving Brooke the most extreme wedgie imaginable, Rossini’s Overture to William Tell on miniature violin, and Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca at breakneck speed, until smoke issues from Kit’s violin.
After the interval the anarchy continued. Strauss’s Blue Danube was played as musical chairs – ending with all three performers balanced precariously on one chair.
Flora’s superb version of Little Willie John’s Fever was subverted by Kit taking over her ‘cello fingerboard and changing the key.
Flora also sang Fever on a microphone which appeared not to work and cut in half-way through the verse, for great comic effect. (I’m still not sure that wasn’t an accident.)
Fever was topped by Flora’s outrageously seductive performance of Ravel’s Bolero.
Then to change the mood Kit’s violin is brought on, burned beyond repair. As he sobs his grief Flora and Brooke take up the tune – Bach’s Air on a G-String.
Kit’s grief is soon forgotten as Flora presents him with a brand new violin, which he uses to play Jimi Hendrix’ Purple Haze. He relives Hendrix at the Astoria – even to the extent of setting fire to this violin as well.
Finally Kit and Flora gave us Tchaikovsky’s Overture to 1812 with Brooke providing simple, but very effective (and very comic), special effects to simulate a 21 gun salute, while rigged up as a one-man-band, and still playing his viola perfectly.
This was a truly magnificent performance. “Pure Hoffnung” one audience member was heard to comment. Well done to a great trio, non-stop entertainment of the highest standard.
To see where the Pluck! trio will be playing Musical Arson in future, try their website www.pluck.me.uk.
To see what’s coming up at the Northcott : www.exeternorthcott.co.uk.
More Classical articles at www.classicaljourneyphonic.blogspot.com.