Berlioz : Roman Carnival Overture
Lalo : Symphonie espagnole (Ray Chen, violin)
Brahms : Symphony No. 2
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Peter Oundjian
As tonight's conductor commented jokingly in his habitual short presentation of the programme to the audience, there's nothing quite like a Berlioz overture to get things going, especially when it's launched as vigorously as this one was. Kenny Sturgeon provided a particularly mellifluous cor anglais solo, a moment of serenity before the joyous mayhem resumed.
Lalo's Symphonie espagnole is one of those virtuoso showcases that used to be very popular, but then slipped a little into the shade. It seems to be re-emerging somewhat, I've been hearing it more often (or parts of it) on the radio of late, but concert performances are still rare. Of course, the demands made on the soloist are no doubt a contributory factor, and it has to be said that Ray Chen made it look very easy, the runs, trills and double-stops flowing effortlessly from his fingers and bow. The orchestra was a little ponderous for my taste in the first and third movements, but the slow fourth was very poetic, and the fifth danced along lightly to its brilliant conclusion.
Brahms's 2nd Symphony is arguably his most joyous, a sort of complete release of tension after the prolonged birthing pains of the First Symphony. As with the Berlioz, the overall sound was very good, warm strings, rich brass and clear winds. That golden haze typical of Brahms was firmly present throughout. Some of the variations in tempi, especially in the last movement, seemed a bit exaggerated, but on the whole, the performance was satisfactory.
[Next : 30th May]
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