SCO, 13/01/2016

Mozart : La Clemenza di Tito - Overture
Mozart : Violin Concerto No. 4 (Alexander Janiczek, violin)
Berg : Three Pieces from Lyric Suite
Beethoven : Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" (Llyr Williams, piano)

Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Alexander Janiczek / Llyr Williams

This was the last of the cycle of concerts in which Llyr Williams and Alexander Janiczek associated the Beethoven piano concertos with the Mozart violin concertos, with Janiczek directing from the violin, and Williams from the piano, rather than having a distinct conductor in charge of proceedings.

The first half of the concert was interesting programming, but a little uneven in execution.  I enjoyed the Clemenza overture, on the whole, as crisply delivered, but thought the brass a touch subdued. This is a piece very much in the grand style.  The opera was composed specifically for coronation celebrations, and Mozart went to town with the orchestration - full wind section, trumpets and drums, alongside the usual strings.  Although the timps gave their full measure, the horns and trumpets (natural ones, both) were a little on the quiet side, slightly undermining the sense of pomp and circumstance of the overture.

Although written over fifteen years earlier, the 4th Violin Concerto begins in a curiously similar manner to the Clemenza overture, with a declamatory statement in a vaguely martial style, but the orchestration is more discreet, no trumpets, no drums, and only oboes from the wind section.  Again, the playing was neat and quite stylish, but the reading seemed somewhat superficial, lacking any real emotional content.

That impression of an emotional void was happily thoroughly overset with the Berg, although there were moments when I was a bit uncertain of some of the more technical aspects of the piece.  Berg himself made this arrangement of the second, third and fourth movements of his "Lyric Suite" for string orchestra (from string quartet), and the movements are fairly short, very concentrated, and very contrasted.  The first movement meandered a little too much, but as they continued, the work gathered in intensity, and if the second movement sounded more nervous than mysterious, the last finally drew everything clearly into focus with its mood of passionate yearning.

I've heard Llyr Williams play the "Emperor" with the SCO before, six years ago.  His playing was equal to itself, confident, articulate, expressive and with a beautiful tone, as masterly as he has always been.  The difference this time was with the orchestra, and perhaps (even probably) that there was no conductor, and communication between piano and orchestra was direct, without intermediary.  In any event, they provided exemplary support, with lovingly shaped detail, and particularly attractive playing from the winds.  Alongside Williams's outstanding reading, the whole became a genuinely inspiring, uplifting experience, as it is truly meant to be.

[Next : 20th January]