United Kingdom Bacewicz, Dvořák, Mozart: Yeol Eum Son (pianist), Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Andrew Manze (conductor). City Halls, Glasgow, 16.12.2022. (GT)
Bacewicz – Concerto for String Orchestra
Mozart – Piano Concerto No.27 in B flat, KV 595
Dvořák – Symphony No.7 in D minor, Op.70
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969) is a composer who has solely emerged in recent times; it’s clear she was a serious determine in Polish music when Lutosławski, Panufnik, and Penderecki dominated Polish music. Indeed, it’s only lately that girls composers have change into incessantly carried out, providing recent voices to live performance programmes and file studios.
This is the second time that Bacewicz’s Concerto for String Orchestra has been heard in Glasgow; final season the Royal Scottish National Orchestra efficiently carried out it of their subscription collection. For me, Bacewicz has many similarities with Shostakovich, however we have to hear her music extra recurrently to evaluate her creativity. She began her profession as a violinist and studied with Carl Flesch in Paris after finding out with Nadia Boulanger. In her early years, she belonged to the Polish avant-garde, however turned extra particular person in her musical type after she wrote this piece which has change into the preferred of her works. She definitely has her personal voice, and it is a tremendous introduction to her music.
The opening motion (Allegro) was dynamic and vibrant underneath the baton of Andrew Manze who clearly believes on this composer. The sound was unpretentious, and sharp in its rhythms, but richly vibrant. There have been virtuoso solo passages on the cello by Philip Higham, and by Maia Cabeza on the violin heralding a passage of superbly atmospheric taking part in reminding me of Britten. There is a transparent individuality of dynamic and life-enhancing concepts.
The second motion (Andante) was deeply sombre with echoes of melancholy and one other cello solo by Higham which epitomised the darkish colors, in a threnody, maybe for the lack of an in depth one. The third motion (Vivo) was dynamic and thrilling in its swift vibrancy. Written in 1948, there are shadows of neo-classicism on this piece with hints of Vivaldi, and Bach, however Bacewicz exhibits she has a powerful individualism and character. There are a minimum of seven violin concertos, two every for cello and piano, and 4 symphonies in her catalogue.
On her third go to to Scotland – on both facet of the current pandemic – Yeol Eum Son (interview right here) now joined the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in Mozart’s final piano concerto, and plenty of of her compatriots have been within the capability viewers. Son has cast a exceptional profession within the quick interval after she received awards at main piano competitions, but she is greater than a extremely completed pianist on the keyboard, she has a grace and artistry that’s nonetheless unusual within the music world.
In the opening Allegro, Manze launched a short passage of energetic string taking part in and vibrant woodwind heralding the entry by the Korean pianist in a pearly adorned sequence of taking part in. Her keyboard articulation was strongly distinctive, a measure of a full-bodied musical character. There was a stunning duet between Son and the flute of André Cebrián, and an beautiful, but meditative cadenza by the pianist of immaculate and vibrantly potent taking part in.
In the sluggish motion (Larghetto) there have been extra masterful moments as we heard a delightfully ornamented solo passage of an nearly child-like theme by Son. The orchestra underneath Manze exhibited all of the song-like great thing about this concerto by providing sympathetic assist to the soloist. In the Allegro finale, the conductor let unfastened an exhilarating rondo of a playful and skipping melody, however not and not using a considerably melancholy passage earlier than a concluding cadenza by Son, heralding the end result of nice vitality which introduced this joyful concerto to an exhilarating finish.
As a response to the enthusiastic applause, we heard a scrumptious encore Étincelles (Sparks), Op.36, No.3 by Moszkowski, that confirmed a fairly totally different facet to this good younger Korean musician. On this kind, Yeol Eum Son’s forthcoming launch of all of the Mozart sonatas will certainly change into a bestseller.
The Dvořák Seventh is regarded by many because the composer’s best symphony, and it was heartening that the SCO programmed this in its closing live performance of the yr. The opening Allegro maestoso, surged with a decided vitality, and there was a tremendous solo from the clarinet of Maximiliano Martin in a passage of wonderful taking part in enhanced by the flute of Cebrián. Manze prompted all of the flowing lyricism of the Czech composer’s harmonies to return to mild they usually have been embellished by good solos from the flutes and clarinets. In the second motion (Poco adagio) there was a hymn-like passage eloquently introduced by Martin’s clarinet and Cerys Ambrose-Evans’s bassoon in a memorable sequence.
More vibrant Czech harmonies emerged within the third motion (Scherzo: Vivace) with its dynamic, stunning folks impressed themes evinced by the strings in a furiant Czech dance and adorned by the charming, good woodwind. In the Finale: Allegro, we heard very good virtuoso taking part in, rustically Slavic rhythms and stirring woodwind, adorned in an exhilarating exuberance heralding a strong march filled with the vivid pleasure of life on this motion and bringing this very good live performance to a gloriously optimistic finish.
Gregor Tassie