The culmination of the CBSO’s
Charles Ives series saw the second half of this concert given over principally
to his pioneering Fourth Symphony, preceded by four of the hymns
and songs used extensively by the composer in the piece - a programming
formula that had previously proved successful in the penultimate concert
in the series in which Robert Spano had conducted an all American programme,
including the Second Symphony.
The American connection was still
with us here, albeit more tenuously, in a first half of Rachmaninov
with the added trans-Atlantic connection of Stokowski’s transcription
of the Prelude in C sharp minor. Typically extrovert,
imaginative, skilful, lush and sensuous, there are any number of adjectives
that can be applied to Stokowski’s brilliantly colourful orchestration.
Sakari Oramo was intent from the very opening bars on exploiting every
effect, textural variation and nuance of the score, the result being
immediately vivid and packed with incident. The sheer indulgence of
both arranger and conductor was evident throughout, not least in the
Boris Godunov like orchestration towards the close, without question
more Mussorgsky than Rachmaninov but marvellous nonetheless!
Stephen Hough showed no intention
of lingering over the opening unaccompanied bars of the much loved Second
Piano Concerto, his no nonsense introduction setting the tone for
much of what was to come, notably in the outer movements. There are
occasions when the sheer warmth and weight of the Symphony Hall acoustic
can make life just a little difficult for a soloist and such was the
case here. From the first bars of the orchestra’s entrance the piano
was all but lost beneath their admirable but firm tread, a problem that
was occasionally evident later in the movement also. Perhaps the orchestra
felt it too, for there were just a couple of moments during the course
of the first movement where soloist, conductor and orchestra were not
quite of the same mind. No such qualms in the second movement where
Hough’s eloquence shone through with playing of touching simplicity
and restraint, matched every step of the way by sensitive and thoughtful
orchestral accompaniment. The final Allegro scherzando was given
a charismatic reading with playing of bravado from Hough and finely
graded orchestral dynamics ensuring that there were no further repeats
of the balance issues in the opening Moderato.
For the members of the audience
who were unfamiliar with Ives Fourth Symphony I have little doubt
that the preparatory performance of four of the work’s central hymns
and songs, exquisitely sung by the City Of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
and conducted and introduced Simon Halsey, would have helped considerably
in guiding them through the extraordinary sound world of a work that
totally belies its age. Indeed, we are only six years away from the
one hundredth anniversary of the commencement of its composition, even
though it took Ives another seven years to complete the piece. Sadly
the composer did not hear a complete performance of the work during
his lifetime (although the first two movements were played in New York
under Eugene Goossens in 1927) and it had to wait until 1965 before
Stokowski eventually gave the complete premiere with the American Symphony
Orchestra. On that occasion Stokowski was assisted in the conducting
by Jose Serebrier and David Katz whilst here Sakari Oramo benefited
from the able support of Paul Hoskins with whom he has previously collaborated
on Peter Grimes. The ethereal, austere beauty of the questioning, opening
Prelude: Maestoso was here captured with a fine sense of atmosphere,
very much the calm before the storm of the ensuing Allegretto,
still utterly astonishing and fascinating not just for its sounds but
for the visual spectacle of the two conductors, both of whom here took
centre stage following Paul Hoskins’ first movement position on the
sidelines with the "offstage" strings. Not surprisingly, the
CBSO brass, appropriately swelled for the occasion, responded with resplendent
sounds, contributing to a riotous conclusion. The richness and harmonic
consonance of the third movement Fugue: Andante moderato could
hardly have been presented in starker contrast whilst in the concluding
Largo Maestoso, it was Oramo’s pacing that stood out as he slowly
allowed the music to develop and grow naturally to the eternal gaze
of its conclusion.
It was entirely appropriate that
this concert was broadcast live by Radio Three – a fitting conclusion
to a series for which Oramo and his orchestra deserve to be congratulated
for an achievement of unquestionable triumph.
Christopher Thomas.
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