Glinka, Mendelssohn and Schumann: The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Christian Tetzlaff (vln) Vladimir Jurowski (conductor) Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 27.01.2007 (BK)

 

 

Glinka: Kamarinskaya

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor Op 64

Schumann: Symphony No 3 in E flat major, Op 97 Rhenish

 

 

Every once in a while, you can stumble on a concert so nearly perfect that it's difficult to know what to say about it. With a nicely balanced programme, played by a fine orchestra led by a first rate conductor, this one was every reviewer's dream. Add in a world class soloist and a decently filled concert hall for once, and you have the best possible recipe for an evening of pure uncomplicated pleasure.

 

It's yet one more sign of my ageing that I hadn't quite taken in the fact that OAE formed itself only in 1986 - they seem to have been here forever. As it happens, I heard them in Oxford shortly after they started up, playing the Eroica with Frans Brüggen. I remember that concert as a magical event; the clarity, delicacy and energy of the performance was so telling that I felt I'd heard nothing like it before. Until then, I believed that I knew the Beethoven symphonies backwards: that concert showed me that I didn't.

 

Well, OAE's still at it, I'm more than happy to say, playing with exactly the same precision and verve and apparently still enjoying themselves thoroughly. Nearly twenty one years older than when they started, the orchestra now has a Chief Executive (founder member, violinist Marshal Marcus) is obviously flourishing and still plays with a fizzing creative energy. There's still no single Principal Conductor or Music Director either: instead, and in celebration of its 21 birthdays, six men who have played pivotal roles in the orchestra's history have been named either as Principal Artists ; Iván Fisher, Vladimir Jurowski and Sir Simon Rattle or as Emeritus Conductors; Frans Brüggen, Sir Charles Mackerras and Sir Roger Norrington. The OAE leadership rotates between three violinists, Alison Bury, Margaret Faultless and Catherine Mackintosh and the group has an Experience Scheme for Young Musicians, six of whom were playing in this concert.

 

One of the many things I find appealing about Vladimir Jurowski is the economy of his gesture. Slight of stature, he moves sparingly with small but exact hand signals to his players - all of whom ( especially in this instance) respond to his directions with a firm but relaxed concentration. There's a quiet self-assurance about his conducting that indicates inner confidence somehow, and which works to perfection with musicians of the OAE's calibre.

 

Kamarinskaya (Glinka's 'Weddiing Song and Dance' from 1848) is a breezy piece based on two folksongs, the first marked Moderato ma energico and the second, the 'Kamarinskaya' tune itself, marked Allegro moderato. Tchaikovsky described it as 'stunningly original piece from which all later Russian composers draw so obviously.. the Russian symphonic school is all in Kamarinskaya, just as the whole oak is in the acorn.' It was easy to see the truth of this sentiment here: soulful and energetic by turns, the music propelled itself eagerly through its many variations and rich palette of orchestral colours right up to the point where it ends with an abrupt unexpected chord: as if Glinka had suddenly had enough of it. Tremendous fun.

 

By a curious coincidence, on the last occasions that I heard Vladimir Jurowski conduct and Christian Tetzlaff play, both of them were performing Berg. Since I had been impressed by the WNO's Wozzeck in 2005 which Mr. Jurowski conducted (review) and also by Mr. Tetzlaff's performance of the violin concerto in Helsinki (review) it was particularly interesting to hear how these artists might combine in the Mendelssohn, arguably the greatest of all romantic German violin works.

 

Beautifully, was the answer and no other word will do. Christian Tetzlaff's playing is technically flawless of course but in this performance, the whole work had a particularly tender quality throughout, matched perfectly by Vladimir Jurowski's carefully crafted accompaniment. As a very welcome encore, Mr. Tetzlaff's offered one of his evident favourites, the Largo from Bach's Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major BWV 1005, which he had also played in Helsinki to follow the Berg.

 

Vladimir Jurowski ended the concert with a joyful performance of Schumann’s ‘Rhenish’ Symphony, its opening movement providing just the right amount of rhythmic impetus. The folk-like quality of the Ländler / scherzo was nicely pointed with well-gauged contrast between its three sections and the warm and luminous scoring of the central intermezzo was allowed to reveal itself fully, particularly from within OAE's wind section. Once again Mr Jurowski's economical gestures were used very sparingly but always extremely effectively.

The symphony's ‘cathedral’ movement, all sonority from the brass (two natural and three valved horns plus trombones in OAE's line-up) contrasted with open strings, provided all of the necessary grandeur to lead directly into the finale which releases the accumulated tension with its clear-cut themes and contrapuntal writing. As the work ended, the expected blaze of sunlit festivity filled both Symphony Hall and its audience with a satisfied sense of wholly harmonious goodwill.

I did say this concert was nigh-on perfect.

 

 

Bill Kenny