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Brahms, Mendelssohn and Schubert: Stephen Hough (piano), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach, Royal Festival Hall, London, 14.3.2009 (BBr)

Brahms: Variations on a theme by Haydn, St Anthoni Chorale, op.56a (1874)
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.25
Schubert: Symphony No.9 in C, Great, D944 (1825)


That Christoph Eschenbach was intending to give us a very large scale performance of Schubert’s magnificent final Symphony was obvious from the fact that he had a very large string compliment on stage, accompanied by quadruple woodwind. Had the period performance brigade known this they would have been outside the RFH, picketing the hall, telling us how this approach would be injurious to our musical health. I really don’t care, and whilst these people load their muskets with shot, let me tell you just how magnificent this performance was.

Eschenbach took a very weighty approach to this music, taking his time to allow the argument to unfold – and that is exactly why Schubert wrote these huge late works; he simply needed the space to give his thoughts the time they needed to speak to us and tell us their various stories. Eschenbach led a well paced slow introduction to the first movement which laid out his intentions for the whole work. The ensuing allegro was measured and well controlled, light and shade were perfectly highlighted and when he reached the coda he held back, not finding the lightness which I find so attractive at this point, but pressing on with the serious intent he had displayed in the rest of the movement. The only flaw was that here, and in the finale, he didn’t repeat the exposition. The slow movement was also heavier than we are used to and the march–like tread of the cellos and basses at the start was stark and pointed. The oboe of Ian Hardwick was a joy here, bringing out all the pathos, and world weariness, of the main theme, which set the tone for what followed. The middle section, full of melancholy, was, again, slightly held back, Eschenbach is exceptional amongst conductors in knowing exactly when to relax the tempo and allow the music to speak from the heart without interpretive interference. The scherzo was a good stamping country dance and in the trio the wind section excelled itself in having a real country band feel, and sound, to it. The finale is a real tour de force of compositional ingenuity and it is here that one really understands just how obsessive is Schubert’s music. Charging headlong, without fear or any consideration for anything except the musical matter at hand, Eschenbach created a conclusion which was devastating in its finality – it’s as if Schubert knew that this was it for his symphonic career and he was going out with a bang and not a whimper – and it was a tiring and very wearing experience. Using his extra compliment of double wind only in the tuttis the sound was full and powerful; this was Schubert writ large and it was exciting and potent in its very elemental force. This was as fine a performance of this work as you could ever hope to hear.

The first half was much lighter and, in retrospect, we should be grateful for that. The St Antoni Chorale Variations is a delightful work and Eschenbach characterized each section well, keeping it small scale but building a satisfying climax at the end. Stephen Hough is a fine pianist who knows how to make a work like the Mendelssohn 1^st Concerto seem to be a bigger piece than it actually is, but he never allowed the bravura work in the outer movements to take over, the style, form and content of the music was paramount in his thoughts, but when display was needed he was attentive to this yet he never produced a sound which was less than appropriate and in the slow movement his phrasing and touch was exquisite. Over the past year I’ve had cause to complain about poor balance, in this hall, between piano and orchestra but tonight there were no such worries – every note from the soloist was clearly audible. A marvelous performance all round.

This was one of those concerts which will remain in the memory for a long time to come.

Bob Briggs


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