SCO, 13/10/2017
Berlioz : Les francs-juges - Overture
Mozart : Piano Concerto No. 27, K. 595 (Mitsuko Uchida, piano)
Dvorák : Symphony No. 8
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Robin Ticciati
Les francs-juges was a projected opera by the young Berlioz, who had only just abandoned his medical studies, and had barely commenced formal musical studies. The complete opera never fully materialised, only a few segments remain of the score, some of which can be found in other, later works, and the overture, which is the earliest of Berlioz's compositions to have found a regular place in the concert hall.
It's not difficult to see why; Berlioz's characteristic boldness of inspiration is already plainly audible, notably in the heavy brass section, and some of the writing for timpani and bass drum. Yet the most interesting thing about it, in many ways, is the debt to Cherubini, which is equally unmistakable, as a reminder that Berlioz, despite appearances (and sometimes his own say-so) did not, quite, spring fully formed from Jupiter's thigh. Ticciati and the SCO gave the overture a full-blooded rendition, relishing in the orchestral colours, the growls and snarls from the augmented lower brass, possibly a touch over-theatrical, but it suits the music that way, and was a rousing opener to this concert.
Mozart's K. 595 is, compared to some of his earlier concertos, a relatively spare, lean piece, with no clarinets in the wind section to warm the tone, and the material presented very directly, almost coolly. It's not, to my mind, as immediately endearing a work as, say, the 23rd or 20th concertos, it doesn't have their dramatic flair, but it does suggest that something new might have been coming, only Mozart didn't live long enough for that new direction to materialise.
Mitsuko Uchida's performance, as always, was absorbing, her musicality and her commitment undeniable and engaging. And yet... and yet, the same concerto, with the same conductor and orchestra, back in January of this year, but with Maria João Pires at the piano, had that indefinable extra quality, something that brought the music truly alive in a way that tonight's did not quite achieve. Had I not heard the two performances so close together, I might have been well satisfied with tonight, but the memory of the earlier concert is still vivid, and there lacked a touch of poetry this evening.
It is any orchestra's right - even, one might say, its duty - to push the envelope, to stretch its boundaries, and the SCO has been doing so with forays into the Late Romantic symphonic repertory, normally the preserve of the larger symphony orchestras. Dvorák is hardly foreign territory to them either, there are plenty of pieces written for smaller-scale orchestras, which they have been playing for years. However, the symphonies, particularly the last four of them, were certainly conceived for more substantial forces than the SCO habitually fields.
There's not a huge difference where the brass and winds are concerned (less horns, notably), but the strings, in all sections, are short a couple of desks by comparison with a symphony orchestra. While the two inner movements were little affected, there no doubt that the thinner string sound in the outer movements caused an imbalance, with the brass becoming overpowering; the very end of the last movement in particular just didn't have quite the right sound, the dashing scales almost drowned beneath the brass.
That said, there was an undeniable freshness and appeal to their reading. The third movement in particular was delightful, a fleet-footed waltz of singular grace and charm, while the finale was eager and vibrant. The 8th is the sunniest of Dvorák's symphonies, and that radiance was assuredly conveyed tonight.
[Next: 14th October]
Mozart : Piano Concerto No. 27, K. 595 (Mitsuko Uchida, piano)
Dvorák : Symphony No. 8
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Robin Ticciati
Les francs-juges was a projected opera by the young Berlioz, who had only just abandoned his medical studies, and had barely commenced formal musical studies. The complete opera never fully materialised, only a few segments remain of the score, some of which can be found in other, later works, and the overture, which is the earliest of Berlioz's compositions to have found a regular place in the concert hall.
It's not difficult to see why; Berlioz's characteristic boldness of inspiration is already plainly audible, notably in the heavy brass section, and some of the writing for timpani and bass drum. Yet the most interesting thing about it, in many ways, is the debt to Cherubini, which is equally unmistakable, as a reminder that Berlioz, despite appearances (and sometimes his own say-so) did not, quite, spring fully formed from Jupiter's thigh. Ticciati and the SCO gave the overture a full-blooded rendition, relishing in the orchestral colours, the growls and snarls from the augmented lower brass, possibly a touch over-theatrical, but it suits the music that way, and was a rousing opener to this concert.
Mozart's K. 595 is, compared to some of his earlier concertos, a relatively spare, lean piece, with no clarinets in the wind section to warm the tone, and the material presented very directly, almost coolly. It's not, to my mind, as immediately endearing a work as, say, the 23rd or 20th concertos, it doesn't have their dramatic flair, but it does suggest that something new might have been coming, only Mozart didn't live long enough for that new direction to materialise.
Mitsuko Uchida's performance, as always, was absorbing, her musicality and her commitment undeniable and engaging. And yet... and yet, the same concerto, with the same conductor and orchestra, back in January of this year, but with Maria João Pires at the piano, had that indefinable extra quality, something that brought the music truly alive in a way that tonight's did not quite achieve. Had I not heard the two performances so close together, I might have been well satisfied with tonight, but the memory of the earlier concert is still vivid, and there lacked a touch of poetry this evening.
It is any orchestra's right - even, one might say, its duty - to push the envelope, to stretch its boundaries, and the SCO has been doing so with forays into the Late Romantic symphonic repertory, normally the preserve of the larger symphony orchestras. Dvorák is hardly foreign territory to them either, there are plenty of pieces written for smaller-scale orchestras, which they have been playing for years. However, the symphonies, particularly the last four of them, were certainly conceived for more substantial forces than the SCO habitually fields.
There's not a huge difference where the brass and winds are concerned (less horns, notably), but the strings, in all sections, are short a couple of desks by comparison with a symphony orchestra. While the two inner movements were little affected, there no doubt that the thinner string sound in the outer movements caused an imbalance, with the brass becoming overpowering; the very end of the last movement in particular just didn't have quite the right sound, the dashing scales almost drowned beneath the brass.
That said, there was an undeniable freshness and appeal to their reading. The third movement in particular was delightful, a fleet-footed waltz of singular grace and charm, while the finale was eager and vibrant. The 8th is the sunniest of Dvorák's symphonies, and that radiance was assuredly conveyed tonight.
[Next: 14th October]