PROM 19: Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev Sergey Khachatryan
(violin); BBC Philharmonic/Vassily
Sinaisky, Royal Albert Hall, 29 July, 2005 (CC)
Vassily Sinaisky's recordings for
Chandos have shown him to be unfailingly
musical and hugely inquisitive towards repertoire. Both sides
were in evidence in this 19th Prom of the present season.
The choice of three orchestral numbers from Tchaikovsky's
incidental music to Ostrovsky's
play The Snow Maiden, Op. 12 (1873) meant that the
concert began with a Prom premiere. The play's story is a
sweet one – Snegurochka (the snow maiden of the title) is the daughter
of Spring and Frost. Her frozen heart means that she 'freezes
out' mortals until, of course, she falls in love. Sinaisky
led an affectionate performance of some little-known music
that deserves further currency (to experience this on disc,
go to Järvi on Chandos CHAN9324). Sinaisky's great
dynamic awareness paid huge dividends in the delicate Introduction,
the tender strings memorably invoking the character of Spring.
A tapestry of muted strings introduced Tchaikovsky's characteristic
descending minor scale into the 'Melodrama' – alas the ppp
seemed almost too much for the first violins, the occasional
shaky bow being aurally evident. The festive and bubbly 'Dance
of the Tumblers', with its attractive rhythmic play, brought
these fascinating snippets to a close.
Shostakovich' First Violin Concerto was on the programme of the very first Prom I ever attended in person.
Dmitri Sitkovetsky was the soloist
then (1986). This time it was Sergey Khachatryan's
turn, a young Winderkind who effectively made mincemeat of Shostakovich's
demands. Khachatryan's tone is warm
yet has a slight edge that was perfect for the extended lines
of the Nocturne first movement. The thought did occur to me
that his tone might not be projecting to the very furthest
reaches of the Albert Hall, but he is clearly a player who
thrives on risks.
Sinaisky paces this Moderato extremely well. He is an excellent
accompanist who, through long experience of this composer's
music, knows well how to underwrite the ominous tread of Shostakovich's
score. Khachatryan lacked that extra bit of bite for the daemonic
Scherzo. It was easy to be impressed by his natural virtuosity,
but he was rather put in the shade by the woodwind's grotesque
dance, surely the very incarnation of Shostakovich's generating
thought.
The BBC Philharmonic's lower strings lack the requisite
depth for the opening of the mighty Passacaglia. Here roles
were reversed. It was Khachatryan
that put the orchestra into the shade, his solo line emerging
as conciliatory in nature. Sinaisky's long-range hearing was sound, though, resulting
in the extended Cadenza emerging organically from the structure.
Khachatryan clearly enjoyed the chance to demonstrate, not
only his virtuosity, but also his early maturity, for this
was no run-through. His interruptive accents were like stabs,
his stopping truly expressive. The spiky Burlesque finale
was full of energy.
Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony is no easy ride. It ideally
needs an orchestra with more heft than the BBC Philharmonic
(including the lower strings at the start). Yet there was
much to admire in the first movement, with wind appearing
as a breath of fresh air as the musical argument becomes more
animated. If high strings could be rather scrawny, the strength
of Sinaisky's vision carried the
first movement's argument through convincingly. One thing
is for certain, though: This is not mobile phone territory.
A balletic second movement
impressed chiefly because Sinaisky
ensured there was plenty of internal life – accompaniments
bubbled along. There was a slightly under the surface violence
that threatened at times to erupt. The balancing of instruments
in the third movement was wonderful, as were the bare emotions
exposed at the climax. All the more of a pity that the finale
was low-voltage, despite the evident enjoyment of all concerned
in the more slapstick moments.
Colin Clarke
