A capacity audience enjoyed a programme of the well-loved and the not so familiar presented by the BBC Philharmonic under the energetic baton of Gianandrea Noseda. Both soloists gave committed performances whether soloing or blending with the rest of the orchestra.
The recent commemorations of the start of the 1st World War provided the setting for the first piece of the evening. Written mid-conflict, in 1916, Alfredo Casella’s Elegia eroic, is an emotional tour de force. The music speaks of death from the outset and moves from brash brass to more plaintive strings and woodwind, finally dying away to nothing. There are some remarkable effects, particularly in the most restrained passages. Some of this sound world is similar to Holst. There are allusions to the Dies Irae and an Italian patriotic song. Highly effective and emotive, this piece should be better known.
Benjamin Grosvenor took centre stage for Chopin’ s Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor (1830) . This popular young musician was greeted with huge applause and proceeded to give an assured and convincing performance of this well known Piano Concerto. Throughout there was great rapport between piano and orchestra. During the concerto we saw something of the enthusiasm of the conductor, demonstrated in his dance-like direction.
This was also the case in Cesar Franck’s Symphonic Variations for piano &orchestra (1885). This piece shows how the concept of variation developed from its earliest beginnings with distinct sets of variations to a more cohesive structure which develops aspects of the material as a whole. In both pieces Benjamin Grosvenor’s playing was superb and his manner refreshingly modest.
The evening ended with a spirited performance of Saint-Saens’ Symphony No 3 in C minor (‘organ’). The popularity of this piece is beyond doubt and the evening’s performance was exciting and very well received. David Goode had great command of the RAH organ from the subtle first entrance of deeply resonant pedals and soft accompaniment to the majestic chords that always cause some in the audience to jump at the beginning of the final movement. Although I really enjoyed this performance I do wonder why another symphonic work featuring the organ could not have been substituted considering this piece featured in the Proms last year and to my knowledge is the only outing for the organ in this year’s programme. That aside, this was a thrilling conclusion to a highly enjoyable and varied evening of first class performances.
SP