Tchaikovsky 6, CBSO, Symphony Hall, Birmingham - Tuesday 12 November, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
Tchaikovsky 6, CBSO, Symphony Hall, Birmingham - Tuesday 12 November,
5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.
“A ravishing and emotionally compelling reading of this great symphony.”
Smetana – Vltava (The Moldau)
Tchaikovsky – Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op.33 (rev. Wilhelm Fitzenhagen)
Tchaikovsky – Symphony No.6 in B minor Op.74 (Pathétique)
Smetana’s Vltava from Má Vlast is a safe and familiar way of opening a concert. Perhaps a little too familiar; it would be nice to hear one of the other movements done now and again. The CBSO woodwind delivered a tightly coordinated opening, and soon the strings were also flowing with ease and confidence. Conductor, Anna Rakitina, drew forth playing of impressive clarity, particularly during the wedding celebration section, and added character with accentuated dynamic contrasts and notable, but not excessive, exaggeration in the phrasing.
Two quite different pieces by Tchaikovsky comprised the rest of the concert. His Variations on a Rococo Theme is a showcase for solo ‘cello but makes some demands on the orchestra as well. Again, the woodwind shone, bringing a suave style to elegantly shaped passages towards the start.
Soloist, Jaemin Han displayed clean and precise virtuosity where the work inclines more to pastiche, but really came into his own during sections with a more overtly nineteenth century character. Here his lower register boomed and snarled, his middle sobbed with heartbreaking romanticism, and his upper notes were exquisitely placed. Rakitina ensured the interplay between band and soloist was responsive and attentive. This was really delightful.
In contrast to the faux classicism of the Variations, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 (Pathétique) is utterly and unashamedly romantic. Rakitina clearly has a deep understanding of this composer and got right to the heart of the conflicts that make his music so compelling. The argument in the opening movement, with its contrasting moments of aching lyricism and tempestuousness, was convincingly articulated. The orchestra played with impressive clarity and a resolute sense of common purpose.
The strings were their usual rich and lustrous selves, but also played with an added shimmering patina, suggestive of fragility, which made the big tune all the more poignant. This was music in which to lose oneself.
The waltzy, but not really a waltz, second movement was gilded with opulence and elegance, enough to make a person think they might actually be able to dance to it. The third movement starts as a jumble of musical fragments but gradually picks itself up and pulls itself together. Rakitina maintained an electric feeling of anticipatory tension during this. So, when the march finally hit the ground running, there was a real sense of catharsis.
The final movement was quite simply heartbreaking. Again, the strings somehow created the shimmering effect, used so effectively in the first movement, to heighten pathos. The playing communicated total emotional commitment. A stunning and deeply moving end to a wonderful performance.
Anna Rakitina – Conductor
Jaemin Han - Cello