London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ryan Wigglesworth

1 May 2013, Royal Festival Hall

The combination of Vaughan William’s Fourth Symphony and Tippett’s A Child of Our Time was almost too much for one evening. The raw emotional energy of the symphony, which never seems to let up even in the quieter moments, was driven with relentless passion by Ryan Wigglesworth, helping us to experience the explosive danger the work must have had for the original listeners in 1935. That it can still shock is a tribute not only to the performers but the work itself. The combination of near rigid classical structures with a post-romantic energy creates a frisson throughout which is constantly exciting.

The opening of A Child of Our Time seemed almost Elgarian by comparison, and as the work unfolded it was fascinating to note how often the younger composer reflected Elgar, where Vaughan Williams had seemed far more modern. Not that Tippett is reliant on anything as obvious as a conventional oratorio for his structure, but that his writing deliberately moves between the familiar and the more challenging. If anything it is his text which still brings us up short, rather than the musical setting itself.

The dynamic range of the London Philharmonic Choir impressed, with the hushed romanticism of the fruitful land contrasted with the almost bombastic outpouring of The trumpet sounds within a my soul. The spiritual settings have always found favour, often being performed separately from the rest of the work, though here they were integrated without compromise, the narrative flowing easily between chorus and soloists. The final Deep River and earlier Go Down Moses were very moving.

Claire Booth was a late substitute for Rebecca Evans, and while she has a secure upper register she was not quite able to breathe the long lines Tippett needs. Pamela Helen Stephen characterised the different alto voices with skill and Matthew Rose carried across orchestra and chorus with authority. Ben Johnson has the innocence for the Boy, but his voice was often lost in ensemble.

The London Philharmonic brass and woodwind excelled themselves throughout and the performance was very warmly received from a full house. BH