Photo, Chris Christodoulou
Monday, September 4, 2023
Royal Albert Hall, London
From Bucharest, https://www.colinscolumn.com/enescu-festival-2023-tonhalle-orchester-zurich-paavo-jarvi-conducts-honeggers-pacific-231-dvoraks-new-world-symphony-with-andrei-ionita-playing-george-enescus-symp/, back to London for a single substantial Symphony (Nowak’s edition), which received a stoical reading from Semyon Bychkov – of ardour and beauty, yes, but it was not the last word on transcendentalism, of breaking free from Earthly vicissitudes, the course of the work a little too carefully plotted, which is not to deny the BBCSO’s excellent response; however, the first two movements needed a little more momentum (although the Scherzo & Trio relationship was well-managed, the latter flowing) and the slow movement wasn’t indulged if a little chaste. Best of all, the Finale (good hard-hitting timpani during the opening measures), for which Bychkov threw a majestic line over the whole to make the movement as integrated as possible, and there was a real coming-together in the coda that was resolute and satisfying if without papering-over earlier indifferences.
I enjoyed this performance and admired the beauty of sound from an orchestra on top form.
All those horns!
But I am perplexed, as was Levi who was sent the score, by the discursive nature of the long first movement . By that I am admitting this monster of a work is the one symphony in the cycle I have paid least attention to.
The finale is simply too much stop go, bold acclamations then almost silence time and again.
It becomes irritating and the coda at the end is too plainspun compared to his other late finales.
The best music comes from the slow movement but even that overstays its welcome. I simply lack the patience needed to penetrate this score.
Comment *One of the important evenings of Proms 2023
Legendary conductor and BBC Symphony.
And – the most important thing for me about this performance – HOW MUCH support and attention from the CONDUCTOR to the orchestra (the orchestra has a huge workload, I think 10 or 11 programs at Proms 2023 – about 2 programs a week, with the heaviest possible repertoire .The French horns – sometimes you could hear that they were very tired, some chords were seriously bad.).
But that didn’t spoil the impression.
All the logic of maestro Semyon Bychkov’s thinking, accuracy, calmness – really helped the orchestra, which responded to the maximum.
And it was very light and easy to listen to (at least from me) – personally I am not the biggest fan and listener of Bruckner, this was my first time listening to a Bruckner symphony in a hall, so far – only on recordings. Many and different, but not live.
And only at the end did I catch the thought that the concert without a break was about 1 hour and 20 minutes. They went completely unnoticed – which is a sign of a good concert.