SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

 

 

This was one of a handful of three-part concerts from visiting orchestras in this year’s Proms season, with a delightful combination of orchestral and choral works by Ligeti, Tchaikovsky, Langgaard and Sibelius. The concert featured the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and with its two associated choirs, who made their Proms debuts in this performance.

 

Each of the first two parts of the concert began with a Ligeti choral work, continuing attacca into the main orchestral work of the section. This was an interesting formula, with the Ligeti seeming as something of an amuse bouche before the longer works. This is not, however, to trivialise Ligeti’s music, which had a strong impact and was well positioned within the context of this programme. The opening choral bagatelles, Night; Morning, composed in 1955, may last only a few minutes in total, but demonstrate the mastery of Ligeti’s concise and carefully considered form. Madrigal-style word painting is in evidence throughout, but most obviously in the depiction of bells and cockerels in Morning. This was a scintillating and dynamic performance, marred only by the occasional sound from the Albert Hall’s capacity audience, which at times threatened to obliterate the quietest moments. The second Ligeti choral work was his well known 1966 work, Lux Aeterna, one of four works by the composer used in Stanley Kubrik’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. This work provides a slow evolution of harmonic progressions through canonic and imitative textures in the sixteen vocal lines. Ligeti’s sound is full of light, with extremes of range demonstrating the capabilities of the vocal ensemble. The Danish choirs provided a well balanced and beautifully blended sound, with the individual voices merging to produce gradually evolving textures and a magical atmosphere.

 

Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto was given a sprightly and energetic performance by Olso-born Henning Kraggerud. There was much to enjoy in this rendition, not least Kraggerud’s rich low register tone. The opening movement was played with simplicity and a sense of light, playful innocence, with some well judged rubato and a well-paced cadenza. I would have liked a little more definition between the phrases, and felt that some of the technical passages had a tendency to rush and lose their musical impact. The arrival of latecomers interrupted the Canzonetta, but this was otherwise and enjoyable performance with some impressive playing from the flute and clarinet. The fast-paced finale had some ensemble problems, with the orchestral offbeats sometimes dragging behind the soloist’s bright, technical display. Some poetic moments of dialogue between soloist and orchestra were highly effective, with again some enjoyable woodwind playing. A beautifully played encore, Fantasy on a Theme by Ole Bull was captivating, with perfectly balanced double stopping and Kraggerud’s rich tone creating a sense of artistry and emotive phrasing.

 

Rued Langgaard’s Music of the Spheres is a forward looking work, composed in 1916-18 and heard this evening in its UK premiere. Structurally, Langgaard’s work is a series of orchestral and choral images, and this sprawling 36 minute work has both unusual and imaginative aspects. From the first bars of Langgaard’s music, comparisons with later works by both Reich and Ligeti are apparent, in terms of the use of repeated phrases and transparent textures. Large forces are used, including four sets of timpani, which at times were allowed to dominate the sound as the lines moved between sections of the orchestra. The orchestra is used sectionally, rather than in a more conventional manner, with instrumental groupings working largely independently of each other and musical ideas juxtaposing and overlapping to provide changes of colour and dynamic. An off-stage orchestra, positioned in the Gallery, had a magical effect, creating an ethereal sense of space and wonderful change of timbre. Some curiously Romantic moments seemed a little incongruent within the overall sound of this curious work, but were performed with an excellent sense of expression and understanding. Other highlights included a well controlled and unforced flute solo, an almost ancient-sounding violin chorale and some well-managed tutti moments where the full power of the large instrumental forces was impressively used. Inger Dam-Jensen’s solo soprano lines had a warm tone, which added to the magic of the off-stage sounds. This was a captivating performance, although I felt that Langgard’s sectional structure was perhaps a little too unfocussed to maintain interest throughout the entire duration of the work. The spectacular ending, however, had a wonderful sense of drama and suspension of time, which was highly memorable and extremely enjoyable.

 

The final work of the concert, Sibelius’s 5^th symphony, was a highlight, demonstrating the skill of this orchestra and Thomas Dausgaard’s charismatic leadership. Transparent orchestral colours were well balanced with warm sounds from the woodwind and brass, and some particularly impressive bassoon playing. The orchestra had a powerful dynamic range and Dausgaard’s sense of pacing and forward momentum was well judged and impressively executed. The orchestra performed with a sense of ownership and enjoyment, which was impressively conveyed through the sound. I was impressed by the level of detail that could be heard, with Dausgaard bringing out parts of the texture that are frequently lost. The magnificent final movement had a strong impact, with some delicate moments from flute and clarinet and good dynamic contrast throughout. This was a truly enjoyable performance which was both technically accomplished and musically breathtaking. Two encores followed, the first of which, Ariel’s Song from The Tempest by Sibelius, featured the clarinet section, who played with charm. An entertaining and humour-filled second encore featured the percussion section, providing a light-hearted end to an enjoyable and varied evening of music.

 

Carla Rees

 

 

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