United Kingdom Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Wagner: Roman Rabinovich (pianist), Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Ludovic Morlot (conductor). Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 3.12.2022. (GT)
Wagner – Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor, Op.23
Prokofiev – Selection from Romeo and Juliet, Op.64
On a bitterly chilly night in Glasgow, it was warming to listen to this programme of widespread favourites within the run as much as the festive season, it’s a while since I’ve heard the Tchaikovsky B-flat minor Piano Concerto carried out, and whereas the work reveals all the most effective of the composer’s creativity, it’s clear why it nonetheless reveals a few of his hottest music.
The Wagner Prelude and Liebestod opened on an overwhelmingly poignant word from the strings led by Maya Iwabuchi heralding a tremendous entry from Adrian Wilson on the oboe – it was clear that the orchestra had been on excellent type, and this was underlined by the melancholy solo from the cor anglais of Fraser Kelman. There had been tremendous contributions from timpanist Paul Philbert, and Timothy Orpen’s eloquent clarinet heard towards the hushed strings. In the Liebestod, there emerged a momentary glow providing hope from the woodwind, with the conductor Ludovic Morlot bringing the most effective from the strings and evincing extra tremendous contributions from the flute of Kathryn Bryan, the harp of Pippa Tunnell, earlier than bringing this heart-breaking passage to a chic shut.
The first event that Roman Rabinovich performed with this ensemble was three years in the past and, on that event, confirmed that he’s an immensely gifted musician and an enormous determine on the keyboard, producing probably the most roaring chords whereas in a position to carry out probably the most tender and delicate harmonies. The Allegro of the Tchaikovsky concerto opened magnificently on the brass matched by thundering piano chords from the Israeli pianist, with violins and cellos presenting the distinctive, spectacular thought – which in my view all the time appears reasonably insipid and weakly composed. Yet this was shortly forgotten because the temper was enlightened by solos from the flute of Bryan and Orpen on the clarinet, and the conductor evinced a tremendous build-up to an thrilling orchestral interlude, and an exquisite solo passage on the piano from the soloist heralded the thrilling climax.
In the gradual motion (Andantino semplice) the flute of Bryan was once more touchingly poignant, and Rabinovich’s fantastically expressed piano chords appeared to launch the strain bringing an air of deliverance in a child-like sequence that was underscored by Wilson’s oboe. In the central part (Prestissimo) the eloquence of the keyboard taking part in was complemented by a charmingly wistful waltz by the orchestra. The finale (Allegro con fuoco) started with an upsurge in a spirited keyboard passage from Rabinovich and this was accompanied by the flutes as a counter to the colourful orchestral sound, resulting in very good woodwind taking part in adorned in stunning harmonies of balletic and folks influenced music. The remaining cadenza by Rabinovich led to a wonderfully completed end result.
Prokofiev’s music isn’t removed from this orchestra’s programmes; since Sir Alexander Gibson recorded a tremendous Fifth Symphony within the Sixties, this composer has been a favorite particularly when Neeme Järvi recorded all of the orchestral music. The composer himself produced two orchestral suites from his Romeo and Juliet, and this choice consists of fourteen excerpts. The ballet is probably the composer’s most interesting stage work and is among the many nice twentieth-century ballets. This assortment of excerpts consists of probably the most thrilling and touching moments of Prokofiev’s rating, and all through there are alternatives for virtuoso solos.
The Introduction was graced by the dulcet toned clarinet of Orpen and supported vividly by the low strings embracing all of the theatre of Shakespeare’s story, underlined by the extraordinary theme on the strings – at instances, the orchestra sounded nearly as good as Yevgeny Mravinsky’s Leningrad orchestra! There had been notably extraordinary entries from the oboe of Wilson and Gareth Brady on the saxophone. The Morning Dance was stuffed with quirky rhythms, and a really Russian theme on the tuba of John Whitener heralded a magnificently bucolic thought on the trombones and trumpets! The Young Juliet exhibited stunningly virtuoso taking part in from Bryan on the flute towards the cello of Betsy Taylor and the ever-harmonious brass group.
The Dance of the Knights introduced out all probably the most dramatic and thrilling harmonies with the strident, but threatening hints from the brass. The idiom was damaged in a romantic passage in The Balcony Scene with beautifully evocative woodwind and a splendidly effected violin duet between Iwabuchi and Marion Wilson. More atmospheric taking part in emerged in The Dance of Romeo and Juliet with a stunningly vibrant theme shared among the many strings and woodwind whereas Tybalt and Mercutio produced probably the most dramatic and thrilling sequence characterised by the sensational brass group.
The theatrical crashes from timpanist Philbert had been to the fore in The Death of Mercutio, this was adopted by modernist cacophony in Romeo Avenging of Mercutio’s Death, after which in The Epilogue the strings and the cornet of Christopher Hart heralded the orchestra bringing the efficiency to a poignant shut with The Death of Juliet.
This was a superb night exhibiting the very high-performance ranges of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and it was marvellously well-directed by the in a position arms of Ludovic Morlot, with the Tchaikovsky concerto being the glittering spotlight.
Gregor Tassie