Symphony Orchestra of India, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 01 December, 2023.

4****: David Gray & Paul Gray.

Richard Strauss – Rosenkavalier Suite

Zakir Hussain – Triple Concerto for tabla, bansuri, sitar & orchestra

Igor Stravinsky - Pertushka

“A diverse programme including an interesting experiment in East-West fusion.”

The Symphony Orchestra of India brought a very varied programme of music for a return visit to Birmingham.

Written in the first decade of the 20th Century, Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier harks back to earlier times, with its lush romantic sound and homage to the operas of Mozart. There was some fine playing from individual sections with a solid, rich string-sound and lively detailing in the winds. However, in the earlier movements, the ensemble as a whole felt a bit tentative. The passing of ideas around the band could have been smoother. There was not always a feeling of the music as a shared experience.

The two Waltz sections felt more integrated in terms of the total orchestra sound, with some suitably expansive playing and lilting lines. The Ist ein Traum section was delivered with a deliciously translucent and delicate texture.

It was clear that much of the audience were there to hear the three soloists in Zakir Hussain’s Triple Concerto: Hussain himself on tabla, sitar Niladri Kumar, and bansuri Rakesh Chaurasia. Indeed, quite a lot of the audience only came into the hall after the end of the Strauss, and the auditorium was noticeably less full after the interval! Such a shame, and perhaps a little disrespectful to the orchestra players who had travelled so far to perform for us.

This was undeniably a work of great virtuosity with the solo trio very much the focus of the action. The orchestra felt under-used during the first movement, providing the odd splash of colour and structural punctuation. The central movement gave them more to do, with some nice big tunes. It was, however, a bit bland and cliched. The final movement had more bite with layered orchestral texturing, and some moments of real dramatic tension. The work built to a rousing conclusion. The audience went wild.

Those who left during the interval missed a treat. Conductor Alpesh Chauhan’s reading of Stravinsky’s Petrushka was full of drama and pathos, with a strong undercurrent of potential emotional and physical brutality. His bringing-out of the more violent elements of the score highlighted the extent to which this work foreshadows The Rite of Spring. The orchestra responded by playing with vibrancy, immediacy, precision and colour. This was a very fine and insightful performance, worthy of a national orchestra.

Symphony Orchestra of India

Alpesh Chauhan – Conductor

Zakir Hussain – Tabla

Nildari Kumar – Sitar

Rakesh Chaurasia - Bansuri