SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Sibelius: Ben Heppner (tenor), Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor)  Barbican Hall, London, 13.11.07. (ED)

Much of what one hopes for in a world class concert was to be found throughout the duration of this event; why then did I come away from it feeling a little deflated by the experience?  Hardly any technical fault could be ascribed to the Los Angeles players, who were not overly taxed by the programme. But maybe this was the problem: that it all seemed too assured and too easily achievable for them.

The sixth symphony which began the concert is one of Sibelius’ most challenging for the conductor. Not only do questions of tempo inter-relationships have to be adequately resolved, but the instrumental voices – particularly amongst the strings -  have to be carefully balanced. Salonen coped better with the latter than the former, since he drove the work on relentlessly. This was more effective in the ebullient third movement than elsewhere. However, the fourth movement left me wishing for greater variety of tone from the orchestra than was forthcoming.

A selection of seven songs were performed with new orchestrations commissioned by the orchestra from composer John Estacio specifically to feature Ben Heppner as soloist. He delivered all with much vitality of phrasing, even if his tone occasionally exposed rawness due possibly to recent over-use. His contribution however was enthusiastically received. I wish I had had similar feelings about Estacio’s orchestrations, which seemed  consciously to steer away from Sibelius’ own models for orchestral song. Both Heppner and Estacio were heard at their finest in Soluppgang and Var det en dröm?, when orchestral restraint found a suitable partner in the strong narrative sense created by the text.

The fifth symphony, played in its 1919 revision, found Salonen on happier ground than in the sixth. Although from the start,  a certain aloofness between conductor and music could be detected, Salonen proved more willing in the fifth's opening movement than in the previous symphony to draw the music’s various ideas organically from one another. Even so,  some of the playing verged on the brusque, brought about by Salonen’s preference for precision when more generosity of feeling might have done Sibelius greater favours.  The closing movement emphasised still further a deliberate streak in both playing and composition. The abrupt orchestral blows that close the work lent some credence to Salonen’s overall approach, but perhaps too little too late.

Ironically the encore, the Death of Melisande from Sibelius' Pelleas  and Melisande, was full of tender feeling and inflection from the upper strings particularly.  Salonen conducted sans baton, and in the process let slip precious emotion. If only this had happened earlier.

Evan Dickerson

 

Back to Top                                                    Cumulative Index Page