RSNO, 17/02/2024
Szymanowski (arr. Farrington) : Symphonic Fantasy on King Roger
Saint-Saëns : Piano Concerto No. 2 (Simon Trpčeski, piano)
Prokofiev : Romeo and Juliet (extracts)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård
The opening scene of Szymanowski's 1924 opera King Roger is a glorious one, an Orthodox mass, magnificently scored, which instantly brings heavy incense and the dark glitter of the mosaics of the Palatine Chapel of Palermo to mind. Shorn of its vocal line, as is all the music in this orchestral summary of the opera, devised by Iain Farrington, Szymanowski's debt to Debussy becomes clearer, there's a lot here that carries distinct undertones of Debussy's Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien, and something of the unique Eastern European flavour of his music is blurred. There is still much ravishing music, astonishingly successful in capturing that unique blend of Norman solidity and Middle-Eastern fluidity that is so visible in Sicily, and Palermo in particular, and the dance rhythms stand out, teasing and intoxicating. Yet the score's best-known number, Roxana's Song, was very underplayed, and I'm still not sure if that was Farrington's choice, or Søndergård's.
Saint-Saëns's 2nd Piano Concerto is the one some wag, after the first performance, described as starting with Bach and ending with Offenbach. It has to be admitted, he wasn't really wrong. If I'm more inclined to compare the fleet-footed scherzo second movement to Offenbach than the weightier Tarantella of the finale, there's no denying the inspiration for the cadenza of the opening, Saint-Saëns reminding his public (as if they needed it!) that he was as accomplished an organist as he was a pianist.
An accomplished pianist is what you need, of course, for this virtuosic score, and was what we got in Simon Trpčeski, whose hands danced up and down the keyboard with insouciant ease - save for the pause between first and second movements when a brief conversation between soloist and conductor resulted in a short break while a sticky key was sorted. I've seen strings snap and reeds need replacement, but I've never seen a piano malfunction before. Trpčeski and the orchestra resumed service very quickly and no one seemed perturbed in the least, but carried on with the pyrotechnics, to our greater pleasure. Having wowed the audience, Trpčeski was not going to get away without an encore, and chose to play "The Swan", from The Carnival of the Animals, with the elegant collaboration of the orchestra's Associate Principal Cello, Betsy Taylor, which was an original touch.
To conclude, Søndergård proposed a selection from the ballet score of Romeo and Juliet, not just the Suites established by Prokofiev himself. All the obvious numbers were there - the Dance of the Knights, Masks, Juliet as a Young Girl, Tybalt's Death - but only the latter half of the Balcony Scene, over which he favoured the deaths of both lovers. Also, the delicious Aubade was played, but with its so-distinctive mandolins replaced by pizzicato strings. Some 45 minutes' worth of the music was given good, characterful readings, with timings that might be a little fast for stage performances, but worked well in concert. This was, nominally, a Valentine's Day concert; I've never really understood the appeal of the tale of Romeo and Juliet on such an occasion, it's not as if it ends well for the lovers, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable when given a persuasive performance such as this.
[Next : 21st February]