CBSO, Birmingham Symphony Hall, 7 November 2019
Since it first opened I have always though the Symphony Hall the finest acoustic in the country for large scale choral works and so it proved once again for a magnificent performance of Elijah this week. Kazuki Yamada brings a dramatic realism to his interpretation, combined with the subtlest of musical nuances, so that the combination is thrilling. There is clarity throughout – many orchestral passages sparkle with the lucidity of the writing – while the constant ebb and flow of the musical line heightens the intensity of the experience.
Yamada is not afraid of the extrovert impact of the score, with the Baal choruses and Be not afraid as heart on sleeve as one could wish, while the gentle uplift of Lift thine eyes is floated effortlessly into the open spaces of the hall.
The CBSO chorus were on fine form, with incisive accuracy and a real sense of enthusiasm, combined with immediate response to their conductor’s wishes. The CBSO itself lives up to its international reputation and it is always worth coming to Birmingham to hear them on their home turf.
They were also blessed on this occasion with outstanding soloists. Matthew Brook proved to be surely the finest exponent of Elijah at present available. Not only does he sing the part with exemplary beauty but he brings a dramatic dynamism to it which is utterly convincing. Where there is a move to stage oratorios today, a performance of this quality makes any extra staging quite unnecessary. Karen Cargill was certainly his match, bringing beauty of line to O rest in the Lord while giving us one of the nastiest Jezebel’s I can recall! The change in tonality and rasp was particularly impressive. If the other two soloists don’t have quite the same scope Robert Murray showed the lyricism he can bring to If with all your heart and Keri Fuge was a moving widow.
Elijah can too easily be dismissed as an old war-horse trotted out to fill a choral gap. Done like this one can only thrill at the experience – and we still have Gerontius to come!