Saturday 15th November 2009
Review of this concert by Philip Worth:
The DSO concert on 15th November 2009 was an example of inspired programming. In Borodin we had a robust leader of the Russian nationalist school close to, but not side-by-side with Tchaikovsky, perhaps the greatest Russian of them all, towering above mere nationalism as one of the world’s great melodists, and in between there was the Nordic mystery of Sibelius, all together producing an appetizing musical feast.
Undoubtedly the star of the concert was Francesca Barrit, a young virtuoso who handled Sibelius’s technically challenging violin concerto with remarkable confidence and the fiery energy the music calls for. Francesca achieved a wonderfully sonorous tone in the hauntingly romantic passages of the concerto, but the double stopping and harmonic sparks flew when the piece went virtuosic, especially in the final movement. The orchestra, too, was stretched technically, but came through well under Tom Loten’s experienced baton.
Borodin’s overture to Prince Igor is joyously successful in achieving two objectives: a beautifully crafted and succinct synthesis of the main tunes of the opera; and a concert item in its own right, a perfect opener, full of flowing, exuberant melody.
At a point in his career when Tchaikovsky had already given the world an abundance of glorious music, and stood head an shoulders above his Russian contemporaries, he feared that he might be creatively exhausted – “I am dreadfully anxious to prove, not only to others but also to myself, that I am not yet played out as a composer.” So he retired to his recently acquired dacha near Moscow where he could work in peace and quiet, and the result was Symphony no. 5, one of his most inspired creations. Here we have on display all the hallmarks of his genius – throbbing, poignant melody, rich orchestral scoring, and a glamour evocative of Tsarist Russia at its glittering height. With this work he must certainly have assured himself that he was far from “played out.” The majestic transformation of the sombre opening theme on the clarinets to the triumphant major with full orchestra at the end is, somehow, symbolic. In the immediate aftermath of Symphony no. 5 there appeared the Fantasy Overture “Hamlet” and the ballet “Sleeping Beauty”, with much more to come.
The DSO concert on 15th November 2009 was an example of inspired programming. In Borodin we had a robust leader of the Russian nationalist school close to, but not side-by-side with Tchaikovsky, perhaps the greatest Russian of them all, towering above mere nationalism as one of the world’s great melodists, and in between there was the Nordic mystery of Sibelius, all together producing an appetizing musical feast.
Undoubtedly the star of the concert was Francesca Barrit, a young virtuoso who handled Sibelius’s technically challenging violin concerto with remarkable confidence and the fiery energy the music calls for. Francesca achieved a wonderfully sonorous tone in the hauntingly romantic passages of the concerto, but the double stopping and harmonic sparks flew when the piece went virtuosic, especially in the final movement. The orchestra, too, was stretched technically, but came through well under Tom Loten’s experienced baton.
Borodin’s overture to Prince Igor is joyously successful in achieving two objectives: a beautifully crafted and succinct synthesis of the main tunes of the opera; and a concert item in its own right, a perfect opener, full of flowing, exuberant melody.
At a point in his career when Tchaikovsky had already given the world an abundance of glorious music, and stood head an shoulders above his Russian contemporaries, he feared that he might be creatively exhausted – “I am dreadfully anxious to prove, not only to others but also to myself, that I am not yet played out as a composer.” So he retired to his recently acquired dacha near Moscow where he could work in peace and quiet, and the result was Symphony no. 5, one of his most inspired creations. Here we have on display all the hallmarks of his genius – throbbing, poignant melody, rich orchestral scoring, and a glamour evocative of Tsarist Russia at its glittering height. With this work he must certainly have assured himself that he was far from “played out.” The majestic transformation of the sombre opening theme on the clarinets to the triumphant major with full orchestra at the end is, somehow, symbolic. In the immediate aftermath of Symphony no. 5 there appeared the Fantasy Overture “Hamlet” and the ballet “Sleeping Beauty”, with much more to come.