Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth, 6 October 2013

Saved almost at the last minute by generous donations from friends and well-wishers, the new season got off to a rousing start with an all-Beethoven programme. Barry Wordsworth took a moment to thank those who had donated and also to welcome back leader John Bradbury who has been missed by all of us over the last year.

The afternoon may have looked conventional enough but the playing, particularly the concerto, made this into a highly memorable occasion.

Radiant horns and some subtle woodwind brought Beethoven’s overture Leonore No3 to life, setting the seal for the afternoon.

Jayson Gillham may have a reputation for being somewhat laid-back but there was nothing overtly casual about his approach to the Emperor concerto. The opening was brisk and bright, with a clipped staccato attack, before a beautifully paced and almost indulgently romantic account of the second movement. Fire returned with a bouncing rondo finale which at times verged on the cheeky. A splendid interpretation, and one which captured the enthusiasm of the audience. Many wanted to applaud after the first movement, which on this occasion would certainly have been justified – had this been a Prom it would almost certainly have happened!

The Pastoral symphony was a more relaxed affair though tempi were mainly on the rapid side. The horns again impressed, with the rasp of the hunt in appropriate places. I had not realised before how astute Beethoven is in keeping the music moving so fluidly. Where Vaughan Williams’ pastoral approach verges on stasis and meditative calm, Beethoven’s rural scene is constantly alive and buzzing, bar by bar, without any hint that the excitement of life will end. The cellos came into their own towards the end of the last movement and the whole reached a fine and highly satisfactory conclusion.

The next concert on Sunday 3 November brings us an all Bach programme including the Magnificat where the BPS are joined by the Brighton Festival Chorus. Details from www.brightonphil.org.uk BH

London Coliseum, 30 September 2013

We have come to expect challenge from a Christopher Alden production and there may possibly have been a sense of relief among many that, for most of the evening, we were not asked to work too hard to enjoy his approach. The narrative, centred on Freudian Vienna, moves from the decadent end of the nineteenth century to the puritanism of the early fascist movement. As part of this, Frosch moves from the conventional drunken jailor to an epileptic neo-Nazi who eventually takes over the prison as the party-goers are cowed into submission.

If this all sounds rather humourless it certainly wasn’t for most of the evening. The opening scenes, with a bed straight out of Der Rosenkavalier, work very well and the interchange between characters, while distanced by the framing narrative, are never less than real. Alden has a way of making the action credible while ensuring we reflect upon it, rather than indulge ourselves.

He is excellent at pin-pointing stereotypes for us. Adele, a Welsh maid in the opening scenes, morphs easily into a Louise Brooks vamp for act two. Rhian Lois has both the voice and the looks for this and she carried both with style. Tom Randle and Julia Sporsen as the Eisenstein’s not only spark off each other but seem to have a far more secure relationship than is often the case.

Jennifer Holloway’s Orlovsky is a neurotic mess, crawling about and readily adopting a foetal position whenever under threat.

Above all of the action lurks Richard Burkhard’s ever present Falke. Not only is he the Freudian master of the revels but he frequently takes notes from his patients as the plot evolves. Whenever, conventionally, a character speaks to the audience, here they are speaking to their therapist – it works surprisingly well.

Simon Buttereiss brings his usual gift for characterisation, and the even greater gift for clarity of diction, as Dr Blind, being asked to do far more, and reveal far more, than most Dr Blind’s are ever called to do.

The chorus are splendid throughout and subtly turn the Brudermein scene into something rather more sinister in its hints of sexual laxity.

Eun Sun Kim drives her orchestra hard though there were some minor slips on the first night which will presumably settle quickly.

The approach may be challenging but that should not put anyone off – there is a great deal here to enjoy. BH

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski, Birmingham Symphony Hall

26 September 2013

What better way to open the new season in Birmingham than with an anniversary performance of a work which was to change the face of British opera when it was first performed in 1945.

Having given us a riveting account of Billy Budd at Glyndebourne earlier this summer, Vladimir Jurowski now brought us an impassioned and hard driven Peter Grimes in the glorious acoustic of Birmingham Symphony Hall.

Many semi-staged performances are little more than a trail of singers on and off the platform but Daniel Slater’s approach was far more dynamic. The chorus (London Voices) act and react throughout, moving position behind the orchestra, breaking into groups and, for the massive out-pouring at the end of the man-hunt, moving right to the front of the platform. Soloists were equally involved, singing from memory and inter-acting with conviction. Clothing may have been modern but was accurate to character and emotional impact. I can’t recall an Ellen Orford who looked so obviously a primary school teacher.

All of this would have been of little account had not the musical impact been equally impressive. Vladimir Jurowski drives the score with an intensity which does not let up. The storm is released with unexpected passion and power, and at a speed which left one breathless. The combination of physical and psychological unravelling was carried over into the more introspective moments, making them all the more fragile.

Cast from strength, there were no weaknesses in the ensemble. The approach of both conductor and director seemed to highlight the sheer nastiness of Borough society in the face of a troubled outsider. Stuart Skelton’s Grimes is unusually sensitive. His phrasing of Three days in the opening scene and later alone .. alone when describing the boy’s death to Balstrode, gave us an insight into Grimes’ character which was elaborated in the transcendent performance of When the Great Bear..

Pamela Armstrong’s Ellen was the troubled bridge between the Borough and Grimes, strong enough to stand up to the bullies but unable, in the long run, to save Grimes from them. She often allowed her solo singing to become unexpectedly romantic, and one could sense the impact of late Puccini on Britten’s writing – something I had not noticed before.

Alan Opie’s troubled Balstrode and Brindley Sherratt’s all too human Swallow led the Borough characters, none of whom were caricatured, making the social grouping all the more unpleasant.

Having the orchestra so exposed allowed the interludes to speak with greater authority, and without the usual coughs and squeaks which we get in the opera house. Woodwind seemed particularly edgy and acidic, making the sea a more dangerous and threatening place – a force as ominous as the folk of the Borough.

The performance was not being recorded – a pity for this was one of the most enthralling Grimes that I can recall.

And a footnote: given that this was the first night of the international season, and one of the finest casts available for a key work in the Britten anniversary season – where were the audience? I know there is a lot going on in Birmingham at present but the number of empty seats was disappointing. BH

Klaus Sonnleitner, organ; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Lorin Maazel

The fact that Anton Bruckner was an organist all his life, as well as being a composer, was presumably the idea which lay behind the planning for this concert. In the first half we heard a number of Bach’s organ compositions played by Klaus Sonnleitner, who is the resident organist at St Florian’s where Bruckner once resided, and in the second the Vienna Phil played his Eighth symphony.

Unfortunately, the link between the two was musically somewhat tenuous. The vast spaces of St Florian’s lend themselves to a highly charged resonance and that wonderful falling off of tone which Bruckner uses to stunning effect in his symphonies. Time and again the orchestra span a line into the vast space of the Royal Albert Hall and then gave it time to resonate and die.

Klaus Sonnleitner’s Bach did nothing of the kind. The opening Sinfonia from BWV 29 in Guilmant’s arrangement was pleasant but unconvincing. Three Chorale Preludes brought interesting tonal colour where registration was more convincing that articulation or phrasing. There were times when I wondered if Klaus Sonnleitner had had enough time to practise on the instrument, given the strange variations in phrasing and timing.

The Prelude and Fugue in A minor BWV 543 fared rather better though the most interesting item was the gentle encore which emerged from deep in the soul of the organ.

No such concerns in the second half where Lorin Maazel brought us an heroic vision of struggle and ultimate transcendent victory. The first movement found real sweetness in the strings and smooth transitions. The brass cascades were breath-taking and the whole had a sense of inevitability and purposeful direction. The fluidity of the Scherzo included some almost Mahlerian harp and flute passages. After the Tristanesque pain of the slow movement, the finale had a glorious richness – a sense of joyous seriousness leading to an exultant climax.

For the penultimate night of what has been an outstanding season this could hardly have been better. BH

Orchestre de Paris, Paavo Jarvi

1 September 2013

A wonderful concert of contrasts and connections with a good measure of French flavour was enjoyed by a large and enthusiastic audience.

Whereas so many musical presentations begin in stirring fashion, this Prom opened with the strings section of the orchestra and a lone tubular bell in the meditative Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten by Arvo Part. The audience was immediately drawn into the haunting soundworld of the Estonian composer in this performance under the baton of an Estonian conductor. There was something magical about the intensity and intimacy of this sparse music heard in such grand surroundings and by so many people. As the piece ended and before the conductor’s baton fell the silence from the audience was almost tangible.

This piece was paired with a brilliant performance of Britten’s Violin Concerto. The work moves through different moods and styles. There are moments of calm and of excitement as the violin dialogues with various sections of the orchestra. The soloist’s technique is tested to the limit with rapid changes of pitch and style. A tremendously spirited and committed performance was given throughout by Dutch violinist, Janine Jansen.

The second half coupled two French Romantic works. The first, Berlioz’ Overture: Le corsair, was full of energy and particularly gave the brass players a chance to enjoy themselves. The culmination of the evening was a very enjoyable performance of Saint-Saens’ (“Organ”) Symphony No 3 in C minor.

There was an amusing start to the performance as organist Thierry Escaich appeared by the organ to great applause but was then unable to gain entry to the console. After disappearing he then reappeared on the opposite side of the console to even greater applause before taking his position on the bench!

This piece has long been a favourite of mine, being one of the first pieces of “classical” music I ever heard performed live. I was not to be disappointed by this performance. The orchestral playing was superb, the piece allowing various sounds to emerge from the whole. The appearance of the piano still surprises! The organ complemented the other forces with its presence felt (literally) even in the quietest passages. The thrilling contribution from the Hall’s organ as the piece moved towards the climax highlighted again for me what a magnificent instrument this is – now in excellent condition and on this occasion again in the hands (and feet) of a master.

Formidable! SP

Richard Hills’ Light organ prom was a triumph!

Last year Cameron Carpenter gave a pair of highly entertaining Bach related concerts on “The Voice of Jupiter” as part of the Proms Season. This year’s organ Prom saw further imaginative use of the Hall’s grand organ by another entertaining and highly skilled organist.

From the start it was clear that this concert was intended to highlight a different side of organ music, and in doing so, developing a longstanding tradition of lighter music at the Proms and celebrating the Town Hall and Theatre Organ genres. There were other pointers to this being a different sort of organ concert. There was a female assistant and the most mixed audience in terms of age, ethnicity and gender that I have ever been a part of at an organ event! It was clear that as well as the die-hard promenaders this concert had also attracted many music lovers including some families taking advantage of the timing of a Bank Holiday Monday afternoon.

Eric Coates’  Sound & Vision- a march written as a signature tune for ATV – got the proceedings off to a rousing start with  fanfare introduction, breezy pace and stirring conclusion.  Richard’s own selection of music from Sullivan’s Mikado gave a chance to highlight some of the more subtle stops. This was a roller-coaster ride combining wit and pathos as well as some more martial moments.

The point was made that the organ here in the Hall was a concert organ and not a theatre organ. The programme reflected this with most pieces being drawn from the light orchestral repertoire. Two pieces originally written as piano solos were the exception where Richard’s fine theatre stylings shone through –  Billy Mayerl’s  Ace of Hearts and “Fats” Waller’s A Handful of keys. The first featured some beautifully delicate echo effects as well as selective use of tuned percussion and the second a brilliant dancing bassline. German’s Three dances from ‘Nell Gwyn’ saw a return to the light orchestral repertoire and again employed a wide range of colours.

A wonderfully restrained performance of Ireland’s Villanella was the only piece of music originally written for the organ and made the point that many players and composers in the past have been comfortable in more than one genre.

The programme ended with an inventive rendition of Quilter’s A Children’s Overture, itself a highly entertaining piece drawing on familiar (and less so) nursery rhymes. The myriad resources of the organ were expertly drawn upon once again and certain sections sounded particularly organ-esque in their own right, notably the gigue-like A frog he would a-wooing go!

This would have been a satisfying ending but it was topped by Mr Hills’ highly entertaining encore Tiger Rag. This was a skilfull rendition beginning with a fast tempo but otherwise understated. The music built throughout as it moved through various guises including some humorous effects and interesting registration. There were brief cameos of Widor’s Toccata & Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance (what else, in a Prom encore?).

Richard’s keen musicianship, dexterous technique and ability to entertain were to the fore. Encore! SP

25 August, 2013

There is a good case for arguing that music-dramas like Tristan and Parsifal actually work better in the concert hall than in the theatre. Either the visual image does not live up to our expectations or the director’s conception seeks only to annoy. When one adds the presence of somebody like Sir John Tomlinson then there is hardly any need to argue the case. His Gurnemanz is at once totally convincing and alive, every nuance and subtlety of the character opening before us as the narrative progresses. Sir Mark Elder’s pacing of the opening act was slow but with such attention to detail that our interest never flagged. Thankfully Sir John’s Gurnemanz was not alone and all of the surrounding knights and squires were cast from strength.

Detlef Roth was a late replacement as Amfortas and provided a fascinating interpretation. The voice is lighter than many who sing the part but his sense of vulnerability and psychological confusion was impressive. The commanding blackness of Tom Fox’ Klingsor was an effective foil.

Katarina Dalayman gave us an unusually subtle Kundry. The voice changes character as she moves from the act one penitent to the seducer of act two. Her seductive powers here came into their own and there was a real clash of wills when she confronted Parsifal. Her terrifying cry of lachte became the lynch-pin of the evening. In the title role Lars Cleveman had the generous tones needed to fill the hall but the intelligence to convince us of Parsifal’s emotional growth.

As with Tannhauser earlier this season, the Royal Albert Hall has to be one of the finest venues for off stage effects. Here the choruses from the heights – Halle Youth Choir and Trinity Boys Choir – were spine tingling. On the platform the Royal Opera Chorus hardly needed their scores and sang with aplomb. After the slower tones of the first act, the Flower Maidens chorus seemed positively dancelike. Sir Mark Elder proved yet again that he is one of the finest Wagner conductors alive today and produced extended passages of glorious sound from the Halle orchestra.

I am very grateful to the BBC Iplayer and its ability to catch up what one has missed. Unfortunately the first act over-ran by almost half an hour. Given that this was both a Sunday and bank-holiday, trains were not at their best and I had to abandon the last act to ensure I got home.  Thankfully I was able to catch up early the following morning. While grateful that this facility is available it was not the same experience as being in the hall itself! BH

Britten; Paul Bunyan

Wales Millennium Centre, 23 August 2013

Paul Bunyan is Britten’s Cinderella. Unloved by many, admired by a few, but realistically unknown by most of us. If this splendid new production by WNO does nothing else it must surely convince the sceptical that the work is worth far more attention than it has previously been given. Martin Constantine takes it seriously, though it is not without humour, and allows the score to speak for itself, with all the confusions of style inherent in it. I was aware that it now lay somewhere between Oklahoma and Candide. The former is now taken as a far darker work than it originally seemed and the later far more comprehensible. Britten clearly enjoyed the challenge of writing a musical but brought all of his considerable experience and professionalism to it, so that the end result is more challenging than any High School Musical might seem if one took too superficial a view of either text or score.

W H Auden’s text was given excellent clarity, allowing the political criticism inherent in the lyrics to make forceful impact – consider the Quartet of the Defeated or the final chorus – as well as the humour of the animals and the lovers. Britten’s score is awash with melody, yet it is never far from his later creations and seems to be a mine from which he later drew.

The young cast sang magnificently, and if they were miked, so what? These days the quality of sound balance is so good that it was impossible to tell from moment to moment when we were hearing live sound and when supported. That some of the voices did not need it was obvious, but at the same time, the quality of all the voices was secure enough that the sound was never less that musically appropriate.

Solo parts needed no excuse. Elgan Llyr Thomas as Inkslinger, Vanessa Bowers as Tiny and Ross Scanlon as Slim brought credibility to their characters and musical individuality to their vocal lines. With a large cast to draw on, many of the original parts were divided up to give as many as possible some solo input and this worked well, given the strength of the voices. Alice Farnham made light of her task in the pit and it was difficult to believe this was not a regular orchestral force. Her use of on stage instruments drawn from the individual abilities of the cast made good sense and dramatic impact.

All of the above would have added up to a fine evening in itself, but the addition of Only Boys Aloud for two of the choruses made it even more memorable. I can’t recall the stage seeming as full as it did for the loggers’ chorus. If only the Gibichung could look this good! That there were moments when the loggers looked rather too much like something out of Monty Python (or The Life of Brian?) can be forgiven – particularly in the light of the number of female, bearded loggers, but their singing overcame any qualms.

The voice of Paul Bunyan was provided by Stephen Fry. While this worked well, the video close-ups were not quite as successful. This was a pity as the rest of the visual impact provided by Adam Young was seamlessly impressive.

I doubt we shall see this production again – unless WNO take it into their own repertoire – but it must surely mark a firm stepping stone on the way to ensuring the work is recognised for what it is and no longer an interesting early work, too easily overlooked. BH

Wednesday 21 August 2013

It is a truism that if you want an audience for a new work, include some Mozart or Vivaldi in the programme. In this case read Sibelius and Elgar, who were presumably the main draw for a full Royal Albert Hall. Not that there was any reason to doubt the potential of the evening given that Sakari Oramo is one of our finest interpreters of both composers.

The evening opened, however, with the world premiere of a BBC commission – Param Vir’s Cave of Luminous Mind. The programme note by the composer seemed to bear little relationship to the work itself. Apart from the mist of strings which underpinned much of the opening section it was difficult to find the meditative or mystical elements referred to. The sudden bursts of percussion and brass may have hinted at the distractions which come to those in the early stages of meditation but otherwise it was difficult to follow any obvious sense of logic. It might have been easier to simply listen and ignore the notes, for much of the writing is assured and pleasing. The second part – Vibrant­ – includes unexpected weather effects, with rain tubes, thunder sheet and wind machine. Given its dramatic impact the planned opera should be worth exploring.

The Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili was the soloist in Sibelius’ violin concerto and made a fine partner to Sakari Oramo’s assured reading of the work. The opening was so hushed – a mist creeping silently into the hall – that it was barely there at all. Frequently during the work this sense of awe and mystery returned, and it was the solo violin which seemed to be trying to break out of the often bleak passages. Her phrasing was immaculate and she managed to combine sweetness and virility, often within the same phrases. Sudden flashes of sunlight illuminated a sense of hesitancy and coming desolation. Only the final movement brought any sense of encouragement as the running energy of the dance rhythm overtook the earlier despair. A wonderful and totally convincing reading.

Granville Bantock is an underrated English composer so it was good to hear his Celtic Symphony in the company of Sibelius and Elgar. Written in 1940 for strings and six harps it takes a Prom performance to bring these forces together. The work has a sense of remoteness and isolation in much of the writing but also incorporates hints of Celtic song. It is romantic without ever becoming sentimental. Apart from the fine playing by the six harpists there is an extended cello solo Susan Monks which impressed by its sensitivity.

Sakari Oramo has proved his worth in earlier Elgar performances, giving one of the finest renditions of Gerontius in Birmingham that I have ever heard. His approach to The Enigma Variations is of warmth, joy and friendship throughout. He brings exceptional clarity to the orchestral sound – the BBC Symphony Orchestra still on excellent form – and a richness which never becomes over-egged.

Another wonderful evening in what is turning out to be an exceptional season. BH