United Kingdom Ravel and Gershwin: David Suchet (narrator), Sebastian Benedict-Flore (piano), Odyssey Festival Orchestra (chief: Leon Human) / Peter Ash (conductor). Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 13.1.2023. (JC)
Ravel – Valses nobles et sentimentales; La Valse
Gershwin – An American in Paris; Rhapsody in Blue
For their inaugural live performance on the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the newly-formed Odyssey Festival Orchestra curated a superb programme which took us on a journey from nineteenth-century fin-de-siècle Paris to New York within the Roaring Twenties, concurrently juxtaposing the views of the nostalgic and embittered Frenchman that’s Maurice Ravel with that of the excited and curious American George Gershwin by way of the enthusiastic narration of actor David Suchet.
The Odyssey Festival Orchestra is an ensemble for presented musicians — newbie or skilled — aged between 18 and 30, the brainchild of conductor Peter Ash, who has years of expertise main youth initiatives in classical music. It was encouraging to see not solely the stage, but in addition the seating, packed — and I imply packed — with younger individuals; Odyssey welcomes collaborations with faculties and local people teams, and on this event had invited college students from quite a few faculties in London.
The first merchandise on the programme, Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales, was delivered in a ‘Peter and the Wolf’-style, aided by David Suchet’s full of life narration. He gave the viewers an summary of the work’s background in addition to summarised the story of the ballet The Language of Flowers – to which this orchestral piece was initially set — alongside the efficiency. Sceptical at first concerning the efficacy of speaking over music I used to be aware of as standalone items, I used to be satisfied and humoured by the impressions Suchet did of Ravel, and his potential to placed on a French accent (a talent little question honed by his most well-known position as Hercule Poirot on TV). Despite the clichéd nature and predictability of the story plot itself, Suchet’s performing fired up my creativeness and gave the already well-loved piece new that means. One however may really feel the younger musicians solely simply warming up, navigating the brand new efficiency parameters arrange by this unfamiliar type of classical music efficiency. Coming from a bunch of proficient and extremely expert musicians, the sound the orchestra made was somewhat tame on this first piece.
The second piece, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, was much more convincing in its efficiency. This time, Suchet supplied the backdrop for the piece (in an American accent with a touch of Brooklyn) and left the orchestra to its gadgets. Peppered with solos and solis, this enjoyable and groovy piece allowed the enthusiastic musicians to indicate off their very own aptitude and have a superb time. The orchestra was additionally very a lot collectively, making for a really entertaining efficiency.
Satisfied and gratified by ice cream and pints, the viewers settled again down after the interval for essentially the most well-known piece within the programme: Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, delivered by pianist Sebastian Benedict-Flore. For me this was the spotlight of the live performance. Narration was additionally included to introduce the piece, though I sympathise with the pianist having to attend on the piano whereas the narrator talked. I mustn’t neglect to offer Nelson Sinclair-Strong his due credit for nailing the notorious (and barely infamous) clarinet solo within the opening earlier than happening to reward Sebastian. Sebastian was calm and managed all through the efficiency, coming in with exact timings, main the orchestra somewhat than ready for it to guide him, however it was his eagerness to make music that made an enduring impression of this younger debutante. The uncooked power of the dwell efficiency, enhanced by meticulous consideration to rhythmic element, introduced out the groove within the music. Sebastian was a pure storyteller on stage on the keyboard, making us all pay attention intently, keen to listen to what he needed to say subsequent. A somewhat shocking look within the efficiency was that of the banjo, which I by no means knew existed within the rating. Positioned subsequent to the cellos and thus closest to the microphone, it was maybe barely over-amplified, creating for sudden comedian results, not unwelcome in such a enjoyable piece as Rhapsody in Blue.
The live performance ended with Ravel’s La Valse for orchestra, a grotesque parody of the basic Viennese waltz by a Frenchman wanting on bitterly on the decadence throughout him, so usually misunderstood to be a showcase of virtuosity when taken out of context in live performance halls these days. Once once more, I used to be struck by the creativity of the programme, highlighting the completely different views of two composers who lived in the identical period however checked out residence and overseas very in a different way; as a programme it provided a splendidly numerous and entertaining introduction to classical music for younger individuals. However, in mild of Suchet’s discovered but full of life lecture previous the efficiency, I used to be anticipating a efficiency teetering on the sting with exaggerated swells in volumes which sadly was not delivered. Although every thing was very a lot collectively and performed appropriately, it was maybe too ‘decent’ for Ravel’s imaginative and prescient. Given the virtuosity and musicianship of the gamers as demonstrated in An American in Paris, I knew I may anticipate much more sooner or later from this orchestra.
Jeremy Chan