Monday 4 August 2014

It is difficult for us today to realise that Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis was found as confusingly modernist as its contemporary masterpiece, Mahler’s 9^th Symphony. Bringing the two works together for a Prom without an interval was a challenging but highly successful piece of programme planning.

Donald Runnicles’ approach to both works was deceptively subtle. The Vaughan Williams had great clarity and distance, but retained a coolness throughout, resisting any gush of romanticism. The separate placement of the ensemble above the rest of the orchestra, and the clarity of the quartet within it, both ensured that we were constantly aware of the dynamic tensions the composer creates. It was a fitting preparation for the Mahler.

Donald Runnicles’ created a seamless inevitability in the opening movement, not so much pessimistic as fated – at times almost heroic – with a lovingly spun out final section. The Landler was slower than usual and somehow more refined. No smell of the countryside and cow-pats, though the waltz section had a diabolic edge to it. There was fire in the third movement but no raw edges which can galvanise this score in other hands. It was not until the last movement that we could fully realise the way he was shaping the whole. The glowing, almost lush, string unfolding of the finale was breath-taking, bringing a quite but positive sense of hope to the whole. The final bars, combining resignation and yearning, were as beautiful as one could imagine. If the audience had been rather noisy at the start – the coughing around me nearly drowned out the opening bars – they were far more attentive by the end.

Brighton Unitarian Church, 20 July 2014

If there was an air of the Pump Room in Bath on this very sultry afternoon please take the comment as a compliment. The string quartet drawn from the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra opened with a delightful arrangement of Schubert’s Marche Militaire promptly followed by an even more winning rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Andante Cantabile from the first string quartet. If not quite as familiar to Classic FM listeners as the slow movement from the Borodin quartet, it had a richness of expression without any undue emotion which was totally convincing.

The afternoon concluded with Mozart’s Oboe Quartet, where the strings were joined by Alun Darbyshire who proved that he was more than a match for Mozart’s fearsome writing. A triumph all round.

Between these we heard Peter Copley’s String Quartet No2, which had been composed for the Stanford Quartet in 2009. There were hints both in the introduction and from the composer that we might find this challenging. It is certainly a very serious composition, but Peter Copley was quite right to suggest that even difficult music can be fun. This certainly is, and for all the complexity of the writing, it is easy to assimilate on a first hearing – dare I say that is not always the case with new music!

The opening Molto vivace has a strong sense of purpose and direction, its regular triple stabbing chords punctuating the musical line and marking out the structure for our journey. At other times the line dances and leads like the Pied Piper. The Adagio is a genuine cantabile, the melody moving easily from one instrument to another. The movement has warmth and an integrity which is close to its Haydnesque roots. Following the idea of having fun, the scherzo starts as if it is going to be a folk song but this rapidly fragments, only to reappear and reform itself as the music progresses. There is a quintessential Englishness to this movement without any hint of pastiche or reference to twentieth century masters. The final Presto is a hell-for-leather skittering which can only bring a smile to any listener, its furious pace easily within the technical grasp of the quartet. The crunch with any new work is the question – would I like to hear this again? Yes, very much so, and it deserves recording as soon as somebody can be persuaded to do so. Let us hope there will be occasions to hear other works by Peter Copley.

Sir Andrew Davis, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus, the BBC National Chorus of Wales

Elgar’s The Kingdom

On possibly the hottest day of the year the new season was launched in quintessentially English style with Elgar’s The Kingdom. If the forces and soloists were familiar, there was a new sense of joy and often of gentleness to this reading which was captivating throughout. Frequently looking back to The Apostles, there was a sense of conviction which comes from a depth of faith and certainty, not from passion and extrovert enthusiasm. The prelude brought a gentle hesitation which blossomed into the opening scene at the heart of which was Peter’s blessed it, and brake, and gave it to us, the phrase held lovingly, almost timelessly. This same sense continued into the scene for the two Marys on the morn of Pentecost where the hints of Flower Maidens are turned into the more refined worship of the temple. There were times when the combined BBC Symphony Chorus, the BBC National Chorus of Wales came into dynamic full flood, effective in the outpouring of He, who walketh upon the wings of the wind, and controlled crescendo of There shall be a fountain opened.

The soloists were well contrasted. Catherine Wyn-Rogers may be a familiar Mary Magdalene but over the years she has made the part her own and there is still no better voice for the part. Erin Wall brought radiance to Mary’s The sun goeth down and highlighted the many subtle shifts of mood. Christopher Purves sounded slightly husky as Peter but the voice did not let him down. Andrew Staples brought a heady, Wagnerian authority to John, easily riding the full orchestra.

As this review indicates, Sir Andrew Davis knows this work from years of conducting it, yet still brings a sense of freshness and excitement as if he were conducting it for the first time.

If the rest of the season is as good as this we are in for a vintage year.

Sir Andrew Davis conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus, the BBC National Chorus of Wales and soloists in Elgar’s The Kingdom

All Saints Church, Hove, 12 July 2014

Gentle music for a summer evening. A full church, and thankfully not too warm, gathered to hear the European premiere of Malcolm Hawkins’ Martha and Lazarus.  The setting for baritone solo, chorus and small orchestra draws on the gospel story of the raising of Lazarus but leans heavily towards Caravaggio’s painting of the same which highlights the relationship between Lazarus and Martha rather than the focus on Jesus. As such the text highlights Martha’s loss rather than the impact of Lazarus’ resurrection. The final Alleluia is surprisingly muted and Jesus’ call to Lazarus does not speak of conviction or absolute faith. The musical language is melodically unchallenging throughout and there is rarely any sense of heightened emotion given the weight of the narrative. Carefully crafted, the work never quite thrills in the way the story does on the page.

Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending may be one of the most popular compositions of all time but it never fails to lift the spirits. Benjamin Baker’s warm solo violin was as much a part of the rural landscape as of the ethereal. Its musical line seemed to keep returning to us to draw us ever further aloft, yet never escaping the beauty of the landscape below. His solo encircled the folk tunes to purify, possibly even sanctify them, uniting heaven and earth in the simplicity of a single line.

After the interval Durufle’s Requiem sat very comfortably in the rich acoustic and the organ sounded suitably French in its undulating weight from the start. There is a joyous conviction about this setting which was well caught by chorus and orchestra, the occasional moments of doubt rapidly cast aside by the assurance of salvation. The lovely antiphonal setting of the Christe eleison radiates hope and certainty that mercy will follow. The Agnus Dei  unfolds like the petals of the flower, with a soft, almost voiceless whisper of sempiternam.

Paul Reeves’ brief solos in the Durufle seemed happier than those in the Hawkins, and his assured baritone carried easily in the church. The Orpheus Sinfonia impressed throughout, and Joseph Cullen gave us considered and apt registration for the organ solos in the Durufle. James Morgan balanced his forces well in what can be a difficult acoustic, ensuring that the text carried and solo instruments spoke with clarity.

Unitarian Church Brighton, Sunday 6 July 2014

Four concerts on Sunday afternoons with works by Mozart in each one, and more recent compositions by local composers, sounds like a good plan for the summer to bridge the days between the end of last season and the start of the new in October.

On this first occasion the string quartet brought together violinists Daniel Bhattacharya and Roland Roberts, viola Bruce White and cellist Peter Adams. They opened with a delightful reading of Mozart’s Divertimento in D major. The acoustic in the church is very close and at first the impact seemed almost too loud – like being in the front room of a hi-fi enthusiast who likes the volume too high – but this soon settled and clarity of texture returned. They found a lightness in the opening Allegro, particularly in the quieter passages, and a fine cantabile in the Andante which danced with subtle joy. The short, bright Presto brought the work to a warm climax and it was obvious the players were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The afternoon ended with the arrangement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No12 in A for piano and string quartet, ideal for the small venue. The Bluthner piano has a wonderfully warm tone and was perfectly balanced with the quartet, Jeremy Young being the sensitive pianist. If anything it was difficult to image so intimate a work played by larger forces, so successful is this arrangement. The playful final Allegretto brought the afternoon to a warmly received climax.

Between these two works we were to have heard two works by Ian Morgan–Williams. In the event Several Endings was not ready for performance so we heard only Five or Six Corridors. The work is scored for piano trio. Despite the introduction by the composer it was very difficult to follow the narrative of the thirteen brief pieces and one quickly became lost among the corridors themselves. Towards the middle of the set there is a slow, lyrical section led by the solo cello which builds to heavy, chunky chords on the piano, only to die away as quickly as it arrived. Near the end another lyrical outpouring for the cello – almost a folk melody – is equally impressive. Unfortunately much of the rest of the set seemed discordant and unfocussed, the intense intimacy of the writing being momentarily arresting but not adding to our overall understanding of the piece.

The next concert on 20 July brings works by Mozart, Schubert and Tchaikovsky, plus Peter Copley’s 2^nd string quartet. Details on www.brightonphil.org.uk

Birmingham Symphony Hall, 21 June 2014

Midsummer’s day 2014, and the climax of four years of magnificent music making. Opera North’s presentation of Gotterdammerung had all the excitement of the earlier operas in this Ring Cycle but had also refined the staging so that the simplified, symbolic gestures were always apt and never interfered with the musical narrative. To take one example, at the end of Act One Siegfried stood behind Gunther when in disguise and then stepped in front of him when he removed the tarnhelm. Simple, but masterly. There are no swords, spears or even a ring, yet we can clearly see them all the time – such is the conviction of the singers.

Moreover, what could so easily have been a concert performance with pictures was a finely honed interpretation, as good as any one might wish for in a fully staged version. None of the protagonists is evil. Even Hagen is driven by the curse that his father has placed on the ring, as are all of the characters here. There is a continuing sense of hope throughout this approach which is dashed as the curse works its way into the unfolding narrative.

While the Norns are doom laden there is a genuinely exultant duet for Brunnhilde and Siegfried at the start of act one, and this continues until Gunther/Siegfried return to Brunnhilde’s rock. Eric Greene’s Gunther has nobility and stature, which makes his collapse in act two all the more tragic. Similarly Olga Boylan’s statuesque Gutrune is out of her depth once her world starts to fall to pieces. There is no sense of cunning manipulation here. Mats Almgren is a slippery Hagen, not a man to trust for a moment, but one drive by inner demons which distort his sleep and wrack his body.

Susan Bickley is so good as Waltraute it is a pity she only appears in the one scene. Her sensitivity and the complexity of her emotions as she speaks of the disintegration of the gods was magnificent.

At the heart of the evening was Alwyn Mellor’s Brunnhilde and Mati Turi’s Siegfried. They spark so well off each other, the second act confrontation was almost unbearable. Her anger and lust for revenge was heightened by the love and joy she had poured out in the opening act, all of which was resolved in a radiant Immolation scene.

Just occasionally Mati Turi’s Siegfried seemed to be tiring, particularly towards the end of the second act, but he had more than enough resources for a very moving death scene after the lighter interaction with the Rhine Maidens. He brings an innocence and warmth to Siegfried which makes Wagner’s own love of the hero so much more palpable.

The orchestra and chorus of Opera North, within the glorious acoustic of the Birmingham Symphony Hall, could do no wrong. The orchestra under Richard Farnes was particularly impressive in the many quieter passages of the opera –the Alberich/Hagen scene and Brunnhilde’s ruminations after the oath scene. Much of the orchestration here seemed to be looking forward, not just to Parsifal but beyond to Schoenberg.

I understand this is not the end of their Wagner mission and that we are to get Der Fliegende Hollander  next year. Hurray – I can’t wait.

Birmingham Hippodrome, 20 June 2014

Edgar Allan Poe has cast his shadow across many artists in the early twentieth century, particularly in the cinema. It is strange therefore that there should have been so few attempts to draw out an operatic version of The Fall of the House of Usher.

WNO have recently drawn together two settings – Gordon Getty’s one act opera and a reconstruction by Robert Orledge of Debussy’s remaining fragments. Neither is totally satisfactory. Gordon Getty bases his approach on a new text which relies heavily on dialogue – not a feature of the original – and music which is supportive but unmemorable. While the massive projections from Penrhyn Castle are impressive, the action within them is too often limp and lacking in atmosphere. While Jason Bridges cuts a dash as Poe, Benjamin Bevan seemed ill at ease as Roderick and there was little sense of a deeply troubled personality. Kevin Short’s Dr Primus made a stranger impression though his character was created for the opera and drains any focus away from Roderick.

Debussy may not have completed his opera but the chunks we do have and the reworking make for a more substantial and atmospheric piece. The focus here is entirely on Roderick, subtly characterised by Robert Hayward, as he slips ever further into madness. William Dazeley as his friend is at a loss to either understand or to help, and his frustration is finely caught. Anna Gorbachyova has little to do as Madeline but sets the tone of tension and suspense in the opening scene. The video projections were far more apt in this second half, focussing on details of the massive columns, dominating the stage like a vast Egyptian temple, oppressing the mere mortals who scuttle within its shadows.

The orchestra was in good form under Lawrence Foster, though even the Debussy produced little that was really memorable on a first hearing.

Philip Glass has a version of The Fall of the House of Usher which was brilliantly staged by Music Theatre Wales some years ago. It might have made a better companion piece to the Debussy and a more satisfactory evening.

Wormsley, 19 June 2014

Summer festivals are an ideal time for rediscovering some of the cul-de-sacs of the operatic world and David Parry has unearthed a little gem in Offenbach’s Vert-Vert. The complex plot involves a girls’ school, a set of unlikely dragoons and a dead parrot. Any thoughts of Monty Python are perfectly acceptable given the tortuous nature of the narrative and the fact that three of the four eloping couples are already married! All of this is set within a fairy tale convent and costumes straight out of conventional operetta – bright red dragoons and gently purple damsels.

At the heart of the evening is Robert Murray’s Valentin, an unworldly boy who grows up rather more quickly than Albert Herring but very much in the same way. Offenbach uses the conceit of his voice to make the change – Valentin is a fine tenor and, escaping from the convent, just happens to be snapped up by a world famous opera singer. This is one of the diversions which, while amusing, does not quite work. The opera singer, La Corilla, sung with great abandon by Naomi O’Connell, is the star of act two yet disappears from then on.

The one singer who does hold the evening together is Fflur Wyn’s radiant Mimi, florid of voice and pert of character and appearance. She drives the narrative forward, even in the most unlikely of circumstances, and gets her man in the end.

Of the large cast, Geoffrey Dolton impressed as Baladon, the dancing master, not only for his fleetness of foot and voice but his ability to turn cart-wheels at a moment’s notice – not many opera singers have this in their CV. The chorus, as so often at Garsington, were obviously thoroughly enjoying themselves and their joy was catching.

The opera has some memorable music. Mimi’s Vert-Vert’s surely not a child, Valentin’s The happy man who would remain and the lovely Summer Night sextet stand out, though there are rarely any dull moments. The problem, if there is one, is with the dinner interval which makes for a very long first half and a short, though effective, final act.

David Parry rediscovered the work some years ago and recorded it in French. This new version is given in his own very witty translation and it would be good to see this alongside the original. He has a flair for comedy which should be recognised alongside this many skills as a conductor.

Garsington Opera 2014

Wormsley, 17 June 2014

John Cox’ deeply humane reading of Fidelio made a very welcome return to Garsington Opera in the more opulent surroundings of the Pavilion at Wormsley. The severe Panoptical set seems less cramped now, and the movement of the prisoners into the garden is a genuinely magical moment. On the evening we were present, the late sunlight was blazing from the East and as the prisoners emerged from the crypt the blinds along the side were raised so that the sun flooded the auditorium.

While the setting may be dominated by steel and concrete, there are constant attempts from the protagonists to humanise it. In the opening scene Jennifer France’s vivacious Marzelline is planting out in her tiny garden, a sign of optimism and hope. The prisoners are treated with dignity by Rocco’s family, making the later brutality of Pizarro and his henchmen all the more despicable. John Cox is not afraid to underline the Christian references in the text, and the symbolism of the bread, wine and chains falling off are pointed without over emphasis.

If the final scene lifts the whole evening closer to parable than naturalism, then this is in keeping with Beethoven’s optimism in the face of despair on both a personal and universal level.

The Garsington Opera Orchestra under Musical Director Douglas Boyd provided  a strongly focussed and fast-paced account of the score, with some fine brass playing throughout. The chorus gave of their best and the subtle individuality of the prisoners is just enough to make us realise that they still maintain their personalities even though the system would wish to reduce them to mere numbers.

The revival is cast from strength with Rebecca von Lipinski and Peter Wedd returning from the original cast in 2009. Her Leonore is utterly convincing in both dramatic presence and voice. His characterisation as Florestan grows in strength as salvation approaches, though the opening aria seems laden with desperation rather than hope – an unusual but dramatically effective concept.

Darren Jeffery is a dominant bully as Pizarro and has the rasping voice to go with the character, in total contrast to the nobility of Joshua Bloom’s Fernando who, unusually for this opera, really does dominate the final scene.

Stephen Richardson’s Rocco is a convincing gaoler and sensitive to the needs of his family, his bluffness covering a deep concern for the prisoners in his charge. Sam Furness gave us a young and active Jacquino. There is no hint here that Marzelline will be getting second best when she realises Fidelio is a woman.

When I last saw this production at the old house in Garsington, I was present on the only evening which had to be abandoned because of the weather, when the battering of the storm blocked out the music and flooded the orchestra pit. No such problems today, and, we hope, never again!

London Coliseum, 16 June 2014

The underwater scenes caused something of a sensation when the production was new four years ago and they are certainly still very impressive. As the brief orchestral introduction unfolds the whole of the Coliseum stage becomes the sea, with gentle sunlight piercing the deep as three divers swim down to collect pearls. They return at key moments, either below or above the water’s surface, and all of the settings reflect the close relationship between the sea and the people. The mix of live performers with subtle video is extremely effective, and far better than video alone.

Within this environment the love triangle is worked out, constantly harking back to earlier events at the temple when the three protagonists had first met.

George von Bergen is not only a virile and dynamic Zurga but a convincing leader of the village. His emotional problems in act three are clearly defined without stretching credibility. It is only a pity that the ending of the opera is so weak musically that it fails to give him the emotional clarity the character needs.

John Tessier’s Nadir is not quite the outsider and his relationship with Zurga is strongly developed as the first act progresses. The famous duet, while beautifully sung here, is also given the uncomfortable edge it rightly needs to carry the narrative forward. The focus of their concern is Sophie Bevan’s Leila. There was an apology at the start as she had been ill earlier in the day but there was little sign of this in her warm and sympathetic approach to the part. She makes it clear that she is an unwilling priestess, as she dangles her feet off the pier.

The only other character is Barnaby Rea’s commanding High Priest, though the production allows him to disappear in the third act, weakening the conclusion.

Most of the evening is beautifully and sensitively lit, though there are moments when the lighting of the chorus was flat and over-bright. Though the choral singing is strong throughout the set does not help them. The long thin horizontal walkways mean the chorus have to shuffle in in single file from the sides and are effectively stuck where they are. Where a Sri Lankan crowd should be volatile and constantly on the move, as the music indicates, these people are static throughout. Needless to say there is no dancing and no room for it.

Jean-Luc Tingaud gives us a full romantic sound from the pit and moves the narrative along while allowing us to indulge in the many purple passages.