15 – 17 August 2015

There have been many Sibelius Symphony Cycles over recent years and I’m lucky enough to have been at some of them. This BBC cycle was, however, rather different – two orchestras and three conductors. In what sense, other than the fact that all seven symphonies would be heard, was this to be a cohesive cycle? In the event the planning did make sense with the three conductors bringing individual strengths to the works they led.

On Saturday the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Thomas Dausgaard, taking us through the First and Second Symphonies from memory. His approach seemed to look back to the romanticism of Tchaikovsky in the warmth and wash of the phrasing. His rather flowery style meant that on occasions in the First Symphony the ensemble was not totally together and there were passages which came close to falling apart. By the end of the fourth movement the sense of direction was clearer and we were at last approaching a sense of Sibelian style rather than a generalised romanticism.

The Second Symphony fared rather better with a leanness to the opening movement but the second movement lacked bite. The fast tempi helped the final movements and the symphony reached its heroic climax with aplomb.

The evening had opened with an enthusiastic if rather heart-on-sleeve rendition of Finlandia. Thankfully Promenaders do not know the words or it could have been like Land of Hope and Glory.

On Sunday the orchestra was conducted by Ilan Volkov who brought a sense of immediacy and bite which had been missing the previous evening. It was more than just the writing itself. The Third Symphony is a world away from the Second but the clean, crisp entries and attention to rhythm meant we were in an altogether different place. It was almost as if it were a different orchestra and puts paid to any idea that the conductor does not make a difference!

The second movement brought gentle wind and a warm melancholy, followed in the third by unnerving accuracy from the brass, rising to a finely formed climax.

If the Fourth Symphony brings tiny moments of hope they are fleeting and by the end the bleakness and near suicidal depression have set in. The echoes of Parsifal are there throughout but it is music between acts two and three – there is no hope of resolution or outcome – merely a need to go on in the face of inevitable despair. All of this was magnificently found by the orchestra with superb detailing throughout.

It may have been positioning the Violin Concerto between the Third and Fourth Symphonies that gave it an unusually astringent and introspective feel. Julian Rachlin was a persuasive soloist, with an inner tension and a real sense of loss in the slow movement. The finale was chunky in approach and determined, as if it was going to be cheerful no matter what the odds.

The deeply felt encore – not by Sibelius – was a tribute to Julian Rachlin’s technical brilliance and depth of feeling.

Monday brought new forces – the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Osmo Vanska. I am lucky enough to have heard him with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra some years ago and it is fascinating how his approach to these later symphonies has matured and changed over time. The Fifth Symphony opened slowly with much menace, allowing the moments of joy and release to be all the more effective. The slow movement ached to be more romantic but could never quite tear itself away from the present, while the finale, launched with zest, came across in a flurry of energy and finely crafted climaxes.

The Sixth opened with restless energy which never quite seemed to find a sense of direction – a perfectly sound reading of the score and one which made sense of the bleakness of the second movement. If the sun comes out occasionally in the third movement it is a wintery warmth, fading rapidly. The finale was light, crisp and fresh until it dies gently away. A masterly reading and challenging at the same time.

I had never really thought of Bruckner as a potential influence on Sibelius but there were passages in the Seventh Symphony which Osmo Vanska crafted into huge, mountainous peaks, with a sustained intensity which carried the single movement through to its subdued close. Again, an unusual but convincing approach which brought the cycle to a close. I doubt if anybody except the BBC could mount a cycle like this but the outcome certainly justified the thinking behind it.

Cadogan Hall, Monday 17 August 2015

Stephen Sondheim’s 85^th Birthday so what better way to celebrate than a lunchtime cabaret from some of the most gifted interpreters of his works.

The programme had been compiled and was introduced from the piano by Richard Sisson who gave as little information as was necessary for background before concentrating on the music and words from the master. In the event, the hour passed all too quickly and we could easily have sat through far more. Much of this was due to the infectious ability of Jamie Parker to change characters on an instant – including accents – and carry every word with ease. Maybe it is something to do with the musical – as opposed to operatic – voice. While Kitty Whately sang with great beauty of line, the text was not always as clear, and in Sondheim this is essential. Her stage presence, and gentle sensuality, was however, charming throughout.

Sian Phillips is a master at the clarity of diction needed, and her rendition of Liaisons was a masterclass in itself. She joined in the later ensembles which brought the afternoon to a close.

Two unexpected pieces crept in in the form of arrangements for saxophone of Send in the Clowns and By the Sea which were played by Anthony Brown. While nicely done it seemed a shame in such a short programme not to have had the songs sung.

When Sibelius’ anniversary is being given such high prominence this year, surely Sondheim was worth rather more than an hour?

Cadogan Hall Saturday 15 August 2015

Apollo’s Fire were making their Proms debut this afternoon and invited us to join them in a Coffee House in Leipzig in around 1720. No problem with that except that the majority of the music offered was written well after this date and seemed to have little relevance to the concept. No matter in the long run for the music itself was pleasant throughout, opening with CPE Bach’s Symphony for Strings in B minor. The melancholy opening Allegretto gives way to a brief Larghetto and a final Presto which seemed closer to late Mozart than the baroque of the coffee house.

Vivaldi’s violin concerto RV234 brought Alina Ibragimova as soloist. The work is very brief and the ensemble almost took more time arranging themselves beforehand than they did actually playing. Thankfully the score was worth it.

The most pleasing section of the afternoon was a suite of pieces from Telemann’s Burlesque de Quixotte which involved some fine guitar playing from John Lenti.

The final two works, both by Bach, left something of a question in my mind. Alina Ibragimova returned as soloist for Bach’s Violin Concerto in E major BWV1042, and this was followed by the Fifth Brandenburg Concerto. While the notes were all there, there seemed to be a lack of communication with the audience. It was almost as if they were in a coffee house playing for themselves rather than for us. There was no doubting Jeannette Sorrell’s technical aplomb in tackling the harpsichord solos in the Brandenburg but both pieces lacked the impact which had come through in the Telemann. It may have sounded better on the radio, but then the listener has coffee to hand.