Mendelssohn, Britten, Mozart and Beethoven: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, cond. Vassily Sinaisky, David Pyatt – Horn, Mark Padmore – Tenor,  Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford 16 .03.2007(JW)

 

 

Mendelssohn – Hebrides Overture ('Fingal's Cave')
Britten – Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings
Mozart – Horn Concerto No 3
Beethoven – Symphony No 8

 

 

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra gave a particularly fine account of Britten's Serenade on tour in Oxford. Mark Padmore's  voice was especially suited to the work and could well be regarded as the highlight of the evening. Despite less than ideal acoustics, his enunciation was always clear and his voice was powerful, insistent without being overpowering. The orchestra's playing was delicate, restrained and disciplined in the opening, ideally suited to the sound world of the piece.

Sinaisky was a delight to watch, as always; charming, courteous, active, engaging with both players and audience.

 

Mendelssohn's overture was pleasant enough but not exceptional since the playing lacked the crispness and definition which some performances bring to the work, making it mellow and conjuring a misty seascape of the Hebrides. It improved as it progressed,  and the orchestral horn playing deserves a special mention.

 

In the concerto, David Pyatt's solo horn struggled at times to be heard over external noise from a medieval-style happening involving charcoal braziers and the lighting of Oxford's Broad by firelight. This gave an interesting setting on arrival and departure from the concert hall, but was often a distraction during the music. The orchestra did well to overcome most of this, but there were occasional moments where they did not entirely succeed. The concerto was generally warm, smooth and pleasant; its second movement was particularly sonorous and the opening of the third movement was another high spot. There was evidently a good rapport between conductor and soloist, and audience received this performance with warmth and enthusiasm.

 

The Beethoven No 8b was exciting and produced a conclusion to the performance which was not only solid but stirring. Its opening was dynamic, taken at a fast pace. The woodwind were notable and the oboe – which excelled in both first and second movements – deserves particular commendation. The closing movement also stood out for its quality; again a restrained and controlled sound opened subtly but then built to a powerful climax to close the work and the evening on a high note.

 

It is regrettable that Oxford, where there is plenty of interest in music, does not have a more suitable venue for orchestral concerts. The Sheldonian Theatre, despite its august and historic surroundings, is not acoustically ideal and is frankly uncomfortable for the majority for the audience with its cramped seating. I am disabled and, had I not been reviewing, I would have been reluctant to stay for the second half given the conditions.

 

However, I was glad that call of duty compelled me to hear the excellent performance of the Beethoven. I would be interested to hear this fine regional orchestra perform other Beethoven symphonies and would also like to hear more of Mark Padmore singing Britten. His voice would be well suited to the acoustic of Snape Maltings.

 

 

 

Julie Williams