Photo, Chris Christodoulou
Friday, August 26, 2022
Royal Albert Hall, London
It was rather disappointing, if for all the right reasons. We were told that “superstar violinist” Pekka Kuusisto was going to have “fun” with The Lark Ascending – quotes from Radio 3 – and he himself was expecting to have rotten tomatoes thrown at him. Why? His rendition was very intimate, slowly awakening, spontaneous (the art that conceals art) and without affectation, if a little too quick in the folksy middle section. Yet, daringly quiet as it was, and appreciably unstudied (seemingly), it offered a perfectly valid view of this wonderful work without making any definitive claims for the interpretation (unlike the Hugh Bean/Boult recording), sympathetically accompanied, but the memory of it will fade, I suspect. Kuusisto also played Thomas Adès’s Märchentänze (UK premiere) – inventive, quirky, ear-catching, over four movements and fifteen minutes, with violin and orchestra interactive. Kuusisto’s encore was an affecting, for him in memoriam (mother and brother), Sibelius Humoresque, No.4.
Debussy’s La mer opened proceedings, well-prepared, well-played, it took a while to settle and grew in stature as it went, a symphonic approach, whether tricky corners eloquently turned, playful and passionate, delicate and dramatic, with the ad lib fanfares in the Finale included, and the conclusion made elemental. A perfectly good La mer if with little to distinguish it from other perfectly good ones. Sibelius Five closed the concert. I am currently haunted by the recent release of a stunning Celibidache performance, http://www.colinscolumn.com/munich-philharmonic-celibidache-conducts-sibeliuss-fifth-symphony-and-stravinskys-1919-firebird-suite-on-the-munchner-philharmonikers-mphil-label/, so whether Nicholas Collon, or any other conductor, the shadows are long. Collon didn’t explore the Symphony; rather he looked after its wholesome qualities, and, if like the Debussy, things took a while to engage, there were soon to be some magical pianissimos, thrills (the end of the first movement, which had included a characterful bassoon solo), and an energetic Finale, during which the swans were in majestic flight, yet the very end lacked for ultimate monumentalism; a performance that didn’t quite add up, but Sibelius’s Valse triste, however core to this excellent orchestra, ended the evening on a bit of a downer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001b5my
Hugh Bean/New Philharmonia Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult.
I listened to PK’s Lark in the car on the way home from a catch-up with a friend in town. Nothing that this charismatic, original-thinking musician is to be dismissed lightly, and yes, default comparisons with Hugh Bean’s late 1960s recording with Boult can be simply lazy/rose-tinted. Nevertheless, on arriving home I reached down that classic recording. Straightaway from the first phrase: such a difference between simply quiet playing (Radio 3 presenter Katie Derham gushing typically at how QUIETLY Pekka Kuusisto played it…WHY must we be subjected to these patronising thumbnail critiques of what we’ve just heard??) and pianissimos which draw the ear in with a variety of colour and tone! But instead of simply relying on what I heard in the car I know I should – and will – listen again to Kuusisto’s Lark via BBC Sounds, my mind cleansed of the wretched hype of being-told-what-to-expect-and-what-I’ve-just-heard!
I too was irritated by Katie Derham’s gushing commentary. Also at the end of a concert, I am not interesred in how many bows are being taken by soloists or conductors, and whether or not an encore is being played . I prefer to hear that from the conductor or soloist concerned.
Well said sir!!! Derham’s patronising grinning ape-ishiness would surely put off people who are trying a Proms broadcast for the first time: send her to Classic FM with that Klaas woman (who scored nul points on GK on ‘celebrity’ Mastermind and I think chose that Tolstoyan epic tv series ‘Friends’ as her specialist subject)
It was great to see the Arena totally packed and nearly every seat occupied even in the restricted view seats where I was (£16 instead of £55 where I have sat in the stalls in the past….just too much for me now)
The ADES will be a superb regular partner of the VW I hope…paying a violinist just for the LARK is expensive!
Glad to hear the fanfares reinstated at the end of LA MER (as does Sir Mark….superb comparison review a few years ago in GRAMOPHONE by the truly knowledgeable Rob Cowan. Now there is a presenter whose enthusiasm is infectious and enlightening. The ending sounds hollow to me with the fanfares omitted and now that audiences do not know the French popular song that he inadvertently echoed, for which he received ridicule, surely his original can be respected now?
Even up near the gallery all the detail of PK’s soft playing could be heard. His violinist brother died of a brain tumour at only 48 and in the hall his introduction to his gentle encore was very touching. By the way, re booking a soloist for only the VW: I went to Manchester a few years ago to hear a rare performance of all 6 Humoresques and James Ehnes came to play them without insisting on adding something showy as an extra, or even an encore.
Why do they so often do ‘VALSE TRISTE’ as an encore? One season I think we had it 3 times. In present times FINLANDIA would have bean very relevant, surely? The Oslo encore after the Barbican Sib 5 was the final Lemminkainen Legend which sent us home in high spirits not as Colin rightly observed, on a downer.
Ah yes, pjl, those fanfares at 90 seconds before the end of La mer. When conductors leave them out, the gap revealed by their absence is indeed disconcerting. When I produced Sir Mark E.’s recording, he used both trumpets and horns, in octaves. Some conductors use one or the other. I’ve not been able to find out the background to this textual conundrum. Enlightenment, anyone? Rob?
I wonder if the ms has horns only…but I think Sir Mark is right to add trumpets especially for a concert. I think that is what Mr Collon did. The wonderful Desormiere 1950 Czech version has horns that are barely audible on the LYS cd (I think Richter said this was his favourite LP) but in 1957 in the S Goldwyn Studios Leinsdorf has the LAPO horns well to the fore. Not quite as prominent with Celibidache in Stuttgart 1977. The famous Karajan 1965 seems to be trumpets only and sounds crude beside your recording with Sir Mark which Rob rightly thought the best library version!
I presume you did not dare suggest to Serge Baudo in 1986 to add the toots in Tooting worrying that that is 36 years ago!!!
Anyone know where I may find a recording of the Kuuisto at Aug 2022?