SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

SEEN AND HEARD UK CONCERT

Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven: Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Richard Egarr (conductor & fortepiano), Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, 4.3.2010 (SRT)

 

Mozart: Symphony No. 1

Haydn: Piano Concerto in D

Beethoven: Overture, The Creatures of Prometheus, Symphony No. 8

 

Richard Egarr, currently director of the Academy of Ancient Music, is a name more familiarly linked with Bach and Handel, but in this concert he took us on a journey from the peak of the musical Enlightenment through to the dawning of the Romantic era. An affable character, Egarr addresses the audience while the fortepiano was being set up for the Haydn concerto, informing us that entertainments and improvisations would have been standard fare during Mozart and Haydn’s day and, to illustrate this, he improvised on the main theme of Mozart’s first symphony as a prelude to the Haydn concerto. He also meandered through a lovely turn as a way into Haydn’s slow movement. It was very effective, and quite in keeping with Egarr’s reputation as one of our finest experts in “period” practice.

 

All of this would count for little, however, were it not for his musical values, though I admit I was surprised with the sheer energy with which the opening of Mozarts’ first symphony grabbed my ears. On its own the work is no masterpiece but its appeal lies in the fact that it was composed when he was only 8 years and, if you choose to look hard enough, you can find a suggestion of the main theme of the Jupiter’s finale in the slow movement. Playing with natural brass and (later) timpani Egarr encouraged the orchestra to develop the characteristic twang that makes period orchestras so distinctive, and it certainly made the opening chords leap off the page, though in a manner I found almost aggressive. The presto finale felt like it was going to career off down the street at one point, and the slow movement didn’t relax quite enough to form a fitting contrast, especially with its steady pulse keeping the forward propulsion going. The Haydn was more successful, Egarr revelling in the improvisatory aspects of the piece, and showing himself unafraid to exploit the full dynamic range of his instrument with some lovely quieter moments. Here the music was allowed to breathe more naturally. It felt more organic and thus more alive. Even the sprightly finale felt restrained to just the right degree.

 

The brash chords that opened Prometheus announced that we had entered an entirely new sound world. The expanded orchestra and more pronounced attack announced that we were in the presence of not just a new composer but a new era. The expansive, incisive opening gave way to breathtakingly fleet scurrying on the strings and the arrival of the timpani added some mightily powerful punctuation. After such forceful playing earlier in the concert I was a little underwhelmed with the opening of Beethoven’s eighth symphony, and in the first movement the orchestral palette felt more even and less dramatic, though there was plenty of contrast on display for the lightning-quick finale when more than once I felt like laughing out loud. The good humour of the second movement and the exuberant swagger of the menuet were excellent too and reinforce the image of Egarr as one of the strongest musical communicators we currently have.

Simon Thompson