SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Schumann's Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Opus 52 proved an excellent way to ease oneself into the composer's bicentenary celebrations. It may be one movement short of a symphony but it is appealing work, as this genial performance by the BBC NOW directed by Francois-Xavier demonstrated.

There was a touch of Mendelssohn about the opening movement and the conductor revelled in its lyricism and lumionous textures. The Scherzo was gently jocular with no sudden surprises, as if the composer was holding back until the Finale, which proved to be a more robust and dramatic affair.

But the mood of the evening took on a darker hue with Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto, which was composed in 1958 when the legacy of Stalin still affected artistic life in the Soviet Union. The work was dedicated to the legendary Rostropovich who would surely have been impressed by the committed playing of the young French cellist Emmanuelle Bertrand.

The sinister, driving rhythms from the cello in the first movement seemed to mirror the insecurities of the post-Stalinist era, and the shrill outbursts from the woodwind added to the feeling of despair.

The slow movement offered respite and was characterised by some beautifully restrained playing from the strings. A dreamy passage on the horns was taken up by the cellist and the movement gradually ascended into quiet ethereal realms bringing to mind Neptune in Holst's Planets Suite.

The third movement, a monologue for solo cello, was a tour de force by Mlle Bertrand. Initially it continued the elegiac mood of the second before introducing new themes, some lyrical, some searching. It culminated in a cadenza-like passage which produced some remarkably virtuosic playing.

The finale returned to the restless mood of the first movement with the soloist again at the heart of the action. Francois-Xavier Roth masterminded the rhythmic excitement and dramatic changes of tempo with considerable elan to produce a breathtaking performance which was greeted with enthusiasm by the audience.

It is sometimes very satisfying to meet up with an old friend after a long absence, and that was the feeling I experiences as I settled down to listen to Beethoven's Third Symphony (Sinfonia Eroica).  Yet somehow it was not quite the warhorse I expected it to be; Francois-Xavier Roth revitalised the work, starting it off at a brisk pace and conducting with almost revolutionary zeal.

The elegiac qualities of the Funeral March were well expressed in this performance, but there were strong climaxes with an excellent showing from the brass to depict the more public aspects associated with state funerals, and there was a great sense of fun in the Scherzo.

The Finale is a celebration of many musical forms and traditions and the  conductor and orchestra attacked it with great panache. Francois-Xavier Roth clearly enjoyed the challenge of the musical ideas as he leapt about the podium generating plenty of excitement and bringing off a performance of great distinction.

The BBC NOW, with its petite leader Lesley Hatfield, is clearly on peak form at present, and the Principality should be proud to have such vibrant cultural ambassadors.


Roger Jones