SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Tippett, Shostakovich, Schumann: John Lill (piano), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis (conductor), Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 22.1.2009 (SRT)

Tippett: Ritual Dances (The Midsummer Marriage)

Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2

Schumann: Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish”

How lovely to see Andrew Davis north of the border again! Apparently it is thirty years since he last conducted the RSNO, but on the basis of tonight I hope it’s a lot less time until he returns. The warmth of the affection between conductor and orchestra was everywhere evident, not least in Tippet’s Ritual Dances which saw the conductor firmly on his home territory. Davis has long been known as one of the very finest interpreters of 20^th century British music and Tippett’s wonderfully rich orchestral textures showed that off to great effect. For me this score is all about contrasts, pockets of sound so rich as to be uniquely distinctive without sounding incongruous. You only have to listen to the filigree flutes at the opening of the first dance, playing out their games against sustained brass and strings. There are numerous effects like this as the score seems to take interest in one idea before being diverted by another entirely different one. The frequent concertante writing can have the effect of making the piece sound like a concerto for orchestra, something each section of the orchestra revelled in, from the sinuous violas to the cheeky clarinets. Davis steered the whole ship with a steady hand so that you never felt lost as an audience, and those recurring brass fanfares felt like landmarks, never repetitious.

The sense of direction was most certainly there in Schumann’s Rhenish symphony, the bracing first theme soaring into the beyond with abandon, while the rousing second movement (can we really call it a scherzo?) was propelled along with almost maritime flair. The finale, less lively than usual, lacked that last degree of excitement, but the solemn fourth movement felt all the more imposing at Davis’ slower tempo. The most fun of the evening, however, was in Shostakovich’s carefree second piano concerto. Tongue was kept firmly in cheek for the first and last movements as the cheeky woodwinds led the rebellious charge, joined by the always poetic John Lill, whose whirlwind fingers kept up with the pace while never forgetting his sense of humour. The finest moment was the gorgeous Andante, played with spellbinding beauty and paced in a manner that made it feel like it was hanging in suspended animation. Quite magical.

Simon Thompson