Royal Albert Hall, Sunday 14 August 2016
Haydn’s Symphony No 34 in D minor is so rarely heard this was its first Proms outing. Strange, when one comes to consider the work, as it is a fascinating link between earlier baroque structures and the later romantic movement. It is almost as if the composer poured himself into the first movement then reverted to the more conventional for the rest of the symphony. The third movement has a lovely gentle trio before a rather folksy finale.
One of the reasons for its inclusion was the parallel with Mahler’s 5th Symphony both in terms of key – D minor – and the movement from angst to sunny optimism. This was certainly true of Sakari Oramo’s approach. There was nothing cynical or nasty about the joy of the final movement which blazed with authority and vigour. The brass section of the BBC Symphony Orchestra had excelled itself throughout and brought the final pages to a thrilling intensity. The Adagietto was given a hushed sensitivity which may have come across better on the wireless for the frequent uncovered coughs were an irritant to an approach which even the RAH can take if the audience is on its side. There used to be a note in the programme about coughing – maybe it needs to return.
Between these two masterpieces we heard a new commission from Charlotte Bray. Entitled Falling in the Fire it was envisaged as a Cello Concerto and Guy Johnston was the soloist last night. I accept it may have come across better on the radio but in the hall the cello was frequently inaudible beneath the battery of brass and percussion. It only really surfaced in the quieter reflective moments where there seemed to be the makings of a distinctive solo voice, only to vanish again as the orchestra returned. If this was intentional it is hardly a concerto; if it was not, then the composer needs to reconsider the internal balance of the work.