SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Martinů, Mendelssohn, R . Strauss:  Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin); London Philharmonic Orchestra/Mark Elder. RFH, 14.1. 2009 (CC)


Martinů’s Frescoes of Piero della Feancesca is woefully uunrecognised. Kubelík (twice – he is the work’s dedicatee), Ančerl and Mackerras are the major offerings available on disc, with a clutch of other lesser names in evidence (although I court controversy by including Ansermet in the batch of “lesser” artists). This all amounts to unaccountable neglect, on the basis of this performance. The Frescoes is a result of a visit to the church of San Francesco in Arezzo in 1954 to view the 15^th-centruy painter’s work, work which depicts the mediaeval legends around the True Cross. The first centres on a two-part depiction of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon. Elder coaxed a frozen string tone from his orchestra, but there was a palpable feeling of unfamiliarity with the score radiating from the performers (including the important cor anglais solo). The second Fresco (the work’s slow movement) results from a depiction of King Constantine, on the eve of battle, having a vision of the Cross. This is more angular, more brittle music than any heard so far, and it came across more successfully than the first fresco – only a long-breathed melody for violins in octaves came across a little edgily. Finally, the last movement offers a reaction to the group of frescoes in Arezzo as a whole. I liked Elder’s way with the “keening” figures, and the climax was glowing and resplendent. An interesting, but mixed, performance.

Anne-Sophie Mutter is always a popular guest in London, and her presence was surely a major contributing factor to the near-capacity audience. Her technique is astonishing, a prerequisite in the Mendelssohn, the most quixotic of violin concertos. Effortless technique, a beautifully sweet high register, the discovery of unexpected moments of profundity in the first movement, the freshness of approach to familiar lines in the slow movement and the proper Presto of the finale, evoking the world of Midsummer Night’s Dream, were all the plus points. There was even the odd moment of humour in the finale, a trait not always associated with this violinist. The negative side is held within one of the positives, strangely – the moments when the “freshness of approach to familiar lines” became point-making for newness’ sake: portamenti seemed decidedly out of place. Elder followed Mutter like a shadow – no easy task at times. The audience was aglow with delight at the end, of course, but this was not quite the great performance I for one had hoped for.

Finally, a rare opportunity to experience Richard Strauss’ depiction of domesticity on a huge symphonic canvas, his Symphonia domestica, Op. 53. Strauss’ blow-by-blow account of a day in the Strauss family poses huge challenges to the participating orchestra. The work is so rarely heard, in fact, that Mark Elder found it necessary to give a spoken introduction, challenging accepted ideas on the piece and urging us to consider the emotions that gave rise to the work’s gestation. A “hymn to a successful marriage”, Elder seemed to be urging us to chunk-up our thinking about the piece, to not get lost in the minutiae – or was he asking us to reframe our central ideas? I’m not sure, but we must be grateful for the ensuing performance just by virtue of its very existence.

Elder’s triumph was in his elucidation of Strauss’ essentially contrapuntal thought. Linear workings were preternaturally clear throughout, even in densely-scored passages. This was because of Elder’s ear for layered textures, as for example in the move towards the Adagio’s climax. Brass heroics were there in all their glory (galloping horns in extremis towards the end got the adrenaline flowing appropriately). Lovely to hear the charming use of an oboe d’amore (for the child), too.

Elder’s pacing excelled most in the love scene; he was overly ambitious in the finale’s double fugue, though, and there were moments when the impression was that it was barely being held together. Given the rarity of performances of this piece, it seems almost rude to carp, yet carp one must. This was, on paper, a fascinating, rewarding programme. In reality, it was a fascinating, rewarding programme that in the final analysis failed to fully deliver.

Colin Clarke


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