SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Elgar: Christine Rice (mezzo–soprano), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Oliver Gooch, Cadogan Hall, London, 9.11.2010 (BBr)

 

Elgar: Serenade for Strings in E minor, op.20 (1892)

Chanson de Matin, op.15/2 (1899)

Sea Pictures, op.37 (1899)

Variations on an Original Theme, Enigma, op.36 (1899)

 

A beautifully proportioned show, based on the critical decade in Elgar’s life, and culminating in his first major success, which brought him international recognition.

 

Elgar described the delectable Serenade as being “really stringy in effect”, and tonight, with a very full string body, it was! Gooch drew ravishing playing from the RPO and, with suitable tempi, kept things small scale and delightful. However, Chanson de Matin suffered because there were too many strings, for this piece is really a salon orchestra work. It was taken too fast and it lacked all the elegance, which had been heard in abundance in the Serenade.

 

Christine Rice was a perfect soloist for the Sea Pictures, with perfect diction – it’s the first time I’ve heard nearly every word – a well controlled vibrato, strong chest register and ringing high notes above the stave. Tempi were well chosen, and only on a couple of occasions was the voice overwhelmed by the orchestra, which is to be expected considering the size of the orchestra Elgar employs. Gooch, however, seemed unable to keep the volume of the orchestra down, so that many felicities of the orchestration were lost due to the high sound level.

 

The same, and more, marred his performance of the Enigma. In anticipation of the performance, the woman sitting next to me said, “we know the Enigma well”. It made me wonder if we knew it too well and thus had started taking it for granted. I had the feeling that Gooch believed this and tonight, the Theme was far too emphatic, and CAE was too loud and lacked delicacy. RPA was without subtlety, and in Ysobel the accompaniment was, too often, louder than the solo viola it accompanied! The start of Nimrod was without the hushed intensity of pianissimo it requires, was built too quickly and thus the climax, when it came – and this, surely, is the emotional core of the work – wasn’t the overwhelming moment it should be. Dorabella was better and near the close, with muted strings, a true pianissimo was finally achieved. There were further problems of balance in ***, where the drums overshadowed the viola line, thus making the ship’s engines sound clanky, rather than well-oiled pieces of machinery. On the plus side, the two overtly extrovert variations – WMB and Troyte – were splendid in effect and execution – trombones resplendent in the latter. EDU brought the work to a loud and positive conclusion but it was generally too raucous.

 

Elgar, like Mozart, is a difficult composer to interpret, and thus this music needs a very firm and understanding hand at the helm. I don’t believe that Gooch is the possessor of the right hands. He was happy enough to make big gestures with his arms, and smile at the players, but he was incapable of penetrating to the heart of the music, bringing out the depth of feeling which is there, just below the surface. One wished so often tonight for Paul Daniels, who really does understand Elgar and can make this astonishing music really sing. It almost goes without saying that the Royal Philharmonic cannot play badly, and tonight it was a joy to hear, as always, but oh, for some strong direction!

Bob Briggs