As well as the Vale of Glamorgan's usual commitment to celebrating living composers, this year's festival has a cello theme, with most hype reserved for Maya Beiser's appearance as a solo performer. Beiser has sought to expand the world of her instrument: it amounts to a sort of globalisation through technology, using lighting effects and video backgrounds but primarily multi-tracked tape, literally multiplying the layers of cello sound. The principle may be valid, the result is altogether more questionable, so contrived as to be artificial, with the sense of live performance diminished rather than heightened by the harsh amplification.
Arvo Pärt's Fratres was written for the brotherhood of 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic: Beiser's pre-recording of 11 parts allowed her to focus on projecting one line, ostensibly to achieve a single voice. In fact, by making it an exercise in egocentricity, the essential nature of Pärt's concept is lost.
Steve Reich's Cello Counterpoint, written for solo cello and 7 pre-recorded tracks, had the virtue of being as conceived, but was lacklustre, while the video projected behind Beiser had all the qualities of a manic screensaver, save the possibility of quitting.
Louis Andriessen's La Louis Andriessen's La Voce offered the more intriguing combination of Beiser reciting Cesare Pavese's haunting poem to her own cello accompaniment, but again the affected gestures got in the way.
David Lang's World to Come, given its UK premiere here (as was the Reich) and written in the wake of 9/11, is predicated on the notion of a cellist and her voice being separated and struggling to be reunited. The staginess of the presentation, where Beiser being separated from her long tresses appeared at least as great a preoccupation, meant that the emotion of the piece, already limited, was further compromised.
A mercifully low-tech concert given the previous night at the 12th-century Ewenny Priory by the vibrant Chroma was by far the more profound experience.
· ESO perform at Llandaff Cathedral tonight. Details: valeofglamorganfestival.org
