Photo, Andy Paradise
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Royal Albert Hall, London
“Breathing Forests is a reflection on the complex relationship between humans, forests, climate change, and fire. The massive sound and architecture of the organ feels something like the grandeur of a forest to me, and its breath reminiscent of the glorious exchange of carbon dioxide to oxygen that forests perform on a massive scale.” Thus writes Gabriella Smith (born 1991, Berkeley, California) about her three-movement – ‘Grow’-‘Breathe’-‘Burn’ – organ concerto, written for James McVinnie, premiered 3/22 by him with the LA Phil and Salonen: incident-packet, sonically powerful and spectacular, densely orchestrated, numerous effects/onomatopoeia: an immersive listening experience (if you are so-inclined) to the natural world, in its magnificence, chaos/destruction, and re-growth, the long-held fortissimo (and then some) final chord cluster (which, musically, seems not to belong) being testimony to optimism/achievement; although, away from the theatre of this cinematic twenty-seven-minute piece, and despite an outstanding performance, organ omnipresent, one wonders if there is any need to hear Breathing Forests again, perhaps because it catapults itself into one’s consciousness wholly and uninhibitedly.
Sibelius’s Swan (one of the Opus 22 Lemminkäinen Legends) glided serenely and spaciously on water without a ripple to usher in the concert, the bird embodied in (here) a cor anglais solo both expressive and forsaken. From Thomas Adès, some inventive and characterful music from his Tempest opera that reports music with an indefinable mystique (that invites you back) and a composer who is an impressive conductor to reveal exactly what these ‘Spells’ are all about, also for some of Sibelius’s music for the same Shakespeare play, Adès totally identified with one of the Finn’s final fruits, a notable score, and if the ‘Storm’ Prelude would have been welcome, this striking weather depiction returns at the end of Suite No.1, Adès taking its nine movements (vignettes) without pause, instructively contiguous, the BBCSO honed and responsive to the smallest detail and subtlest dynamic.
Jean Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela
Gabriella Smith: Breathing Forests (UK premiere)
Thomas Adès: Five Spells from The Tempest
Jean Sibelius: The Tempest – Suite No.1
Tapiola would possibly have been a better companion to the concerto.
But then it might have been to the detriment of the concerto.
Just about anything would be to the detriment of the concerto.
Hearing The Ades Tempest Suite after the interval made one realise how insipid the concerto was and the vigour/ inventiveness of the Sibelius overshadowed the rather empty Ades. In fairness, The Court Dances make for a better taster of Ades’s complete opera.
Is there any need to hear Breathing Forests again? Yes, oh yes! And yet again. It’s less a piece of music, more a whole body experience. I just wish I had been there.
Please forgive me for mixing genres, but the section of Breathing Forests (approx. 9 minutes in until 12) reminded me of the non-rhythmic first part of Edgar Froese’s Maroubra Bay.
It was the held brass chords overlaying the ‘twittering’ background which put me in mind of it.