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Prom 31, Messiaen, Mozart, Parry and Brahms: Louis Lortie (piano). BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis (conductor), Royal Albert Hall London 8.8.2010 (MMB)

Messiaen: Un sourire

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K453

Parry: Elegy for Brahms

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor


Prom 31 reunited Sir Andrew Davis with the BBC Symphony Orchestra where he was Chief Conductor from 1989 to 2000. During those years, Davis led the orchestra very successfully in many Proms, as well as on tour to a wide variety of locations around the globe. His “Last Nights” were amongst the most popular and he was possibly one of the most loved conductors of the festival. This was therefore an eagerly anticipated concert and the Hall was sold out, with people squeezing on the arena. As he entered the auditorium, with his customary enthusiasm and a ready smile on his face, Sir Andrew received one of the warmest welcomes ever granted to a conductor by a Proms audience.

The programme was truly eclectic, with very diverse composers, but there was a common thread holding it together. There was a commemorative aspect to the evening, demonstrated in the reasons behind the pairing of the composers and the fact that it was the BBC SO’s fifth appearance this season. As also stated in the programme notes, Messiaen wrote Un sourire, as a tribute to Mozart, to mark the bicentenary of his death. The piece was therefore premiered, in Paris, on 5^th December 1991, the exact anniversary of Mozart’s passing away. Messiaen called it Un sourire (a smile) because he always smiled whenever he thought of Mozart and he greatly admired the late composer’s ability to always be optimistic in the face of adversity. Therefore, it made complete sense to follow Un sourire with a piece by Mozart himself, meaning the Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, which is one of his sunniest, most uplifting works.

This  was the first time that I had heard Messiaen’s piece Un sourire live and I enjoyed Sir Andrew Davis’s and the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s sensitive performance: Subtly moving but technically restrained. Messiaen called it a smile but to me personally although lovely, it felt more like a sad smile albeit its end on the bright key of A major.

French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie came on stage, after Messiaen, to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17. This is a rather intimate piece; the second of two concertos that Mozart wrote for his pupil Barbara (Babette) Ployer in 1784, and which was first performed at her residence. It is one of Mozart’s greatest, most radiant pieces, with one of the most gloriously beautiful slow movements ever written: The second movement Andante. When I listen to it, I always have the impression that I am being whispered a precious secret, not to be shared with anyone. The downside is that such a piece is little suited for the large concert hall and so, I feared that its loveliness would be lost in the immensity of the Royal Albert Hall. I am happy to say that in this instance it was not. Lortie delivered a suitably delicate performance, almost feminine in touch and expression, though well judged to meet the dimensions of the hall, enabling the piano to be heard clearly across the auditorium with a brilliant crystalline sound. He appeared a little hesitant halfway through the first movement, as some of the modulations sounded slightly muddled; however, this was perhaps a brief moment where he lost his focus, as the following second movement was lovingly and effectively executed, and he excelled in the third and final. This third movement contains a wonderfully happy tune (evocative perhaps of Papageno’s pieces in Die Zauberflöte), forming the basis where Mozart constructed various superb variations, which are technically difficult to deliver, particularly at speed, as the concerto is normally performed today. It may have been played slower by Mozart’s pupil at the time but it definitely shows that she was accomplished and he trusted her qualities as a pianist.

There was excellent rapport between Lortie, conductor and orchestra and this fact showed throughout the performance, enhancing the colloquial atmosphere of the piece and the joyful dialogue between piano and orchestra. Sir Andrew Davis masterly led the BBC Symphony Orchestra in a technically excellent performance. He was precise but never dry, subtly expressing the joy but, perhaps most importantly, effectively projecting the sound, which left the audience with a big collective uplifting feeling to take with them into the break.

After the interval, we had the second composer pairing of the night: Parry and Brahms. Hubert Parry was a major composer in his time and of great importance in the British music landscape of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. It is therefore a bit of a shame that the vast majority of his work has been forgotten or neglected and that most people will probably only remember him as the man who composed Jerusalem, which has been a tradition of the Last Night since the 1950s. Parry composed Elegy for Brahms in 1897, shortly after Brahms’s death, an event that affected him deeply, as he greatly admired the German composer both as a person and as an artist. His elegy is a sincere tribute to Brahms, expressing his great sadness at the loss of such a musician. Even though composed more than a century ago, Parry’s piece had never appeared at the Proms before, being performed for the first time in this Prom 31. It is sombre in nature, almost poignant at times and a heavy contrast to the luminous characteristics of Mozart’s piano concerto, which formed the bulk of the first part of the concert. Once again Sir Andrew Davis and the BBC SO were up to the task and delivered the piece with technical proficiency and heartfelt sentiment.

Parry’s tribute was suitably followed by what many consider Brahms’s masterpiece, i.e. the Symphony No. 4 in E minor. Personally, I prefer No. 3 due to some of its lyrical aspects; however, No. 4 is a wonderful piece for an accomplished orchestra, providing striking complexities, particularly in the first and fourth movements. The BBC Symphony Orchestra under the trusted baton of Sir Andrew Davis delivered a powerful rendition of the piece, showcasing their versatility and dramatic expression. The sense of tragedy and unrest present throughout the piece but particularly in the first and fourth movements, were effectively demonstrated; however, also beautifully contrasted with the subtle melancholy of the second movement and the optimistic energy of the third, written in the glorious key of C major. It was a flawless, vibrant performance that did justice to the piece and to the quality of the musicians interpreting it. Sir Andrew is a generous conductor, in the sense that he allows the orchestra to shine. I have only one slightly less positive comment but a rather personal one: His interpretation of Brahms’s music was powerful yet restrained, lending it perhaps a certain “Britishness”! To my mind, the performance though brilliant would have benefited from a more unleashed passion in the final movement.

Overall, I felt that Prom 31 made for a very satisfying concert, reminding us all of the special chemistry between Davis and the BBC SO, and why we used to enjoy their concerts so much at past Proms. Sir Andrew’s visit was short and sweet but hopefully, will have given him the desire to repeat it for many Proms to come.

Margarida Mota-Bull

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