Wagner,
Turnage, Mozart at the Berwald Hall, Stockholm, Sweden, 10.12.2005 (GF)
Swedish Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra conducted
by Daniel Harding. Soloists: Sandrine Piau, (soprano), Sarah
Connolly (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Staples (tenor), Jesper
Taube (baritone).
Daniel Harding, after a formidable comet career, is appointed
principal guest conductor of the LSO from next year and
in 2007 he will take over as principal conductor of the
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra after Manfred Honeck who
has been in charge since 2000. It is a brilliant ensemble
he is going to preside over, having before Honeck’s regime
been fostered by the likes of Esa-Pekka Salonen and Evgeny
Svetlanov. Judging from what I heard on Saturday afternoon,
which was a reprise of the Friday concert, broadcast by
EBU, there is every reason to expect a fruitful co-operation,
the scope of repertoire showing that he is equally at home
in a wide variety of styles. The prelude to Wagner’s Parsifal,
which in lesser hands can be just dull, was given a taut
and concentrated reading, building the long arc up to the
three fanfares with subsequent timpani rolls and then back
again with the utmost conviction. The solemn atmosphere
was so outspoken that it took quite some time before the
applause came, and then seemingly reluctantly. This music
well played is something of a bath of purification for the
soul and this afternoon at least the soul of this reviewer
felt uncommonly purified.
Every department of the orchestra needs to be extremely
sensitive to bring this music out satisfactorily and so
they were. Sensitivity of a quite different kind is needed
in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Scherzoid, composed in 2004 and getting
its Scandinavian premiere at these two concerts. The title
is a play with words, putting together “scherzo” and “schizoid”.
Formally the piece consists of three scherzo parts interspersed
with two sections of a more introspective character. Drawing
his inspiration to a great extent from jazz (Miles Davis
and his jazz-fusion is mentioned in the programme notes)
the music has some resemblance with big band music but just
as obvious are his nods to Stravinsky (Rites
of Spring), Gershwin and Bernstein. It is ferociously
rhythmic music, structurally complicated with several layers
of rhythms overlapping each other and although there are
not many “tunes” of the kind you can hum its still melodic,
albeit fragmentary. During the second “intermezzo” a heart-rending
saxophone solo is heard but then it’s touch and go again
with a myriad of details in all departments and of course
the percussionists had a field day. Rhythmic precision is
of course the Alpha and Omega of this work and the orchestra
were admirable, many of the players visibly enjoying themselves
hugely. Turnage’s normally unsmiling appearance was definitely
mitigated by the whole composition which, although with
some darker streaks, is an Ode to Joy and in the final pages
he treats himself to a hilarious joke when he, like some
great names in the history of music is seemingly unable
to stop. If the Parsifal
prelude was a spiritual purification this was the secular
equivalent.
After the interval the orchestra returned reduced and
rearranged to 18th century conditions with the
violins divided left – right, cellos in the middle and double
basses and violas behind, the Swedish Radio Chorus neatly
placed behind the wind players and the four soloists also
behind the orchestra. Mozart’s Mass
in c minor, like the Requiem
left unfinished, is one of his greatest creations and
Daniel Harding shed light upon its diversity. As could be
expected he found a lightness of tone in the Kyrie, and Sandrine Piau sang the soprano
solo accordingly.
The Gloria was
powerful without being unnecessarily monumental. In Laudamus te Sarah Connolly was excellent
with good coloratura. Qui
tollis was intense and filled with contrasts and the
“hit” song, Et incarnatus est, so often performed slowly and syrupy, was again
light and flowing with exquisitely transparent woodwind
and Sandrine Piau’s voice blending well, singing ravishingly.
The two male singers have little to do in this work but
what they had, they did well. The chorus is of course rightly
famous, collaborating regularly with conductors like Abbado
and Muti, and they were indeed excellent: such elasticity
and vitality and the homogenous sound that is their hallmark.
Add to this a power that is remarkable for such a small
body of singers (they are only 30). The Sanctus movement was really mighty.
Full marks, then, for all participants and it seems that
we can look forward to Daniel Harding’s tenure as principal
conductor with confidence. Next on the agenda is the by
now traditional Twelfth Day Concert with soloists Nina Stemme
and Bryn Terfel, which I also hope to report on.
Göran Forsling
