SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Dvořák, Mysliveček and Mozart: Ana de la Vega (flute), Olivier Roberti (piano), English Chamber Orchestra, Alexander Briger, Cadogan Hall, London, 2.12.2010 (BBr)

Dvořák: Czech Suite, op.39 (1879)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No.21 in C, K.467 (1785)
Mysliveček: Flute Concerto in D (London première)
Mozart: Symphony No. 38 in D, Prague, K504 (1787)

Two things should have warned me about this show. On the poster advertising the concert it was proudly proclaimed that Mysliveček’s Concerto was receiving its premier – OK, it’s not a criminal offence to use an Americanism but it is sloppy not to use the word we usually use; even if it isn’t an English word it has become one by default. Secondly, Mozart’s Concerto bore the nickname ‘Elvira Madigan’ – whilst I can understand ‘Jeunehomme’ or ‘Coronation’, the use of the title of a film which included this non–copyright work is beyond belief. I mention this because it sets the tone for what I was to hear.

Dvořák’s Czech Suite is a lovely five movement piece, unpretentious and pleasing, using dance rhythms in three of the movements and entertaining throughout. Unfortunately this was a joyless performance, unsmiling and dull. Overall, it sounded like a first read through. Olivier Roberti walked on to the stage clutching his music like a good music student and set it out for use during his performance. The programme told us that he won the Premier Prix de Virtuosite, in 1975, in Geneva, and that he studied with Carlo Zecchi, Eduardo Vercelli and Leon Fleischer. He also plays all over the world and is a Professor in Paris. His pedigree is impressive, but, unfortunately, he played Mozart’s K467 with a seeming lack of understanding of the piece and as if he’d only a slight, passing knowledge of the work.

Surely, I thought, the promise of the London première of a Flute Concerto by one of Mozart’s friends might raise the spirits. This was my first experience of Mysliveček live – I had heard some works on Supraphon LPs many years ago. Unfortunately, the work proved to be a very damp squib of a piece, with little melodic interest and it was given a performance lacking in style. Soloist Ana de la Vega – who is recording the Complete works for flute by Czech Composers – failed to scintillate and, indeed, I felt that William Bennett, principal flute of the orchestra, would have made a better job of the piece, for I know him to be an artist with great style and a sensitivity rare amongst younger musicians these days.

You can’t go wrong, I thought, with Mozart’s great ‘Prague’ Symphony. Certainly this proved to be the best-performed work on the programme – and the outer movements were graced with exposition repeats – but, unfortunately, despite conductor Alexander Briger waving his arms about a lot, the performance failed to take fire.

An orchestra is only as good as its conductor and Briger didn’t strike me as being particularly interesting, for he appeared to have nothing whatsoever to say in any of the works; his accompaniments for the concertos were lack lustre and all the music lacked a real sense of purpose and direction. The soloists also left a lot to be desired in their performances, to the extent that there was a distinct lack of applause at the end of the Concertos and it took a few moments for the audience to be alerted to the fact that the music had stopped, making one wonder if they really cared.

I am sad to report that this was a very poor show indeed, made all the poorer by the fact that this orchestra can really deliver the goods when playing under a conductor with insight and spirit.

Bob Briggs