Daily Archives: 5 October, 2014

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra: New Season

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Autumn may be in the wings but another wonderful late summer afternoon welcomed the new BPO season. New also this year – a composite programme for the first three concerts to encourage regular supporters and to bring us colour for the first time and more space for notes.

This was an all-Russian programme opening with a bright and warm reading of Glinka’s overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila. The necessary re-arrangements to bring on the piano gave Barry Wordsworth an opportunity to thank us for our continuing support and to welcome a large number of younger members to the audience. At a time when so many concerts seem to be supported only by those at or around retirement this was a very encouraging sign.

Natasha Paremski

Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto followed with Natasha Paremski the highly impressive soloist. She brought  weight and gravity to the opening movement and a romanticism which never dwindled into sentimentality. The steely quality in her playing continued into the slow movement which was voluptuous without ever being indulgent. The attack we had sensed in the opening returned for the finale which was racy in approach and eventually allowed us to wallow in one of Rachmaninov’s most memorable melodies.

A rapturous reception provoked a fully justified encore which proved to be even more demanding than the concerto. She gave us the final movement of Prokofiev’s 7th Sonata, spitting fire amidst the torrent of notes. Masterly.

After the interval we heard Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. After the warmth of the Rachmaninov this all seemed very bleak at first, but Barry Wordsworth’s approach is not as cynical as some critics might wish. As the first movement progressed there were hints of hope – even in the midst of demonic militarism. Mood changes were clearly marked without over-emphasis. The cellos and basses made a great deal of the opening of the second movement and the whole provided genuine rather than reluctant enthusiasm. The Largo unfolded gently then took us on an inward journey to consider all that we have lost. The frenetic finale seemed honest rather than cynical and showed that there are many more ways of hearing this symphony than a simplistic political one.

The next concert brings us Schubert, Parry, Strauss and Elgar on 2 November.

Mozart in D Minor

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MozartThe concept of a concert based on compositions in the same key is certainly an unusual one, but for Bexhill Choral Society it proved to be remarkably effective. Mozart’s Requiem is in D minor and, as conductor Kenneth Roberts pointed out, so are many other of his more serious, not to say darker, compositions, including much of Don Giovanni.

The opening Kyrie brought finely controlled dynamics even though the choir were on the flat which can often mask the voices at the back. The brief, early, Gloria from the Missa Brevis followed, bringing with it the first contribution from the soloists; but before the operatic excerpts Robert Aldwinckle was the pianist for the final movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No20. Though the tempo was brisk throughout, and the musical line well formed, articulation sometimes suffered in over-hasty phrasing.

The singers may all be well known to us but that should in no way lessen the exceptional level of professionalism and musicality that they brought to the evening. Their excerpts from Don Giovanni were both apt and convincing. Sophie Pullen made a fiery Don Anna ably supported by a gently lyrical Gary Marriott as Don Ottavio in Fuggi crudele, fuggi. Peter Grevatt and Judith Buckle gave us La ci darem la mano without scores and with subtly effective characterisation. This raised the level of impact which ran over into the final scene when a stentorian Barnaby Beer as the Commendatore condemned Giovanni from the pulpit, urged on by the chorus. It was very effective.

After the interval we heard the Requiem, with a Kyrie and Dies irae full of attack and spirit. It was good to have Rosie Willcock’s splendid trombone solo for the Tuba mirum. If the men of the choir were a little hazy at the opening of Confutatis they came together again with the full chorus in the Lacrimosa and Hostias, and made much of the final Agnus Dei.

Mozart regularly draws on Handel in his setting of the Requiem and it was interesting to note that the choir seemed at its most secure in those sections.

The Sussex Concert Orchestra lead by Adrian Charlesworth sounded well balanced with enough weight to carry the concerto and the Requiem. A pleasing evening all round – now we have to prepare for Christmas!

Carols and Christmas Music, St Augustine’s, Cooden Drive, Saturday 6 December 2014

www.bexhillchoral.org.uk