United Kingdom Robertson, Beethoven, Brahms: Francesco Piemontesi (pianist), Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Thomas Søndergård (conductor). Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 28.1.2023. (GT)
Lisa Robertson – am fìor-eun (world premiere)
Beethoven – Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat main, Op.73 ‘Emperor’
Brahms – Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op.98
For this opening live performance of 2023, it was good to see such a big viewers for this attractively programmed live performance earlier than the ensemble leaves for his or her tour in February. The opening piece by the 30-year-old Lisa Robertson am fìor-eun means in Gaelic ‘true bird’ and it was the native sea eagles on the Sound of Mull which impressed her for this splendidly written orchestral work. The golden eagle and the ocean eagle compete for existence within the Western Isles and in recent times are threatened once more by extinction.
‘I greatly admire our local eagles, particularly the characteristically introverted golden eagles. They have fantastic 340-degree vision and a telescopic magnifier, seeing five times further than us and in five vivid colours. They are nature in perfect balance; masters of the airspace, with perfectly controlled flight modes, including free-falling, power-climbing, corkscrewing, sky-dancing and 200mph dive-bombing. The piece reflects these, while switching focus with five simultaneous, vibrantly coloured rhythms, imitating a hovering eagle’s notion of the panorama.’ The composer launched her quick piece to the viewers by saying that her music invokes the flying patterns of the eagles, ‘the eagle flying across the orchestra from left to right and during the central section the eagle dive bombs the orchestra!’
The piece opened softly with the strings enjoying lengthy slides making a slightly eerie image of the Western Isles because the woodwind imitated hen calls in a chilling but atmospheric sound image. It was a stunning orchestrally tinted image, and one needs to listen to it once more – like different items within the sequence of the RSNO Composers’ Hub – it might be glorious for the orchestra to take it on tour as ‘Scottish Postcards’ in sound.
In latest seasons, this orchestra have been superlative of their revelatory performances of Beethoven’s symphonies. In this probably the most symphonic of concertos, Thomas Søndergård took care within the ‘Emperor’ concerto to current an genuine sound image by positioning the pure timpani among the many orchestra, subsequent to the cellos, with the violin teams on the left and the violas on the appropriate. The ‘Emperor’ concerto opened stirringly with the soloist Francesco Piemontesi proclaiming opulently glittering chords and following a dramatic re-entry by the orchestra, a spotlight was an attractive passage from Katherine Bryan on the flute, enhanced as the concept was picked up gloriously by the horns.
Piemontesi exhibited beautiful piano approach, however I briefly thought the orchestra a bit loud in opposition to his keyboard enjoying. His cadenza was lovely and stylish and after the nice climax, applause broke out – a function maybe of a younger viewers. Søndergård took time for the applause to settle and discover the appropriate temper earlier than the gradual motion, and he conjured a deeply affecting passage on the strings accompanied by poignantly luminous keyboard enjoying. As the orchestra launched a semitone originally of the Finale, the temper reworked dynamically with chic enjoying from the Swiss-born musician and tremendously highly effective orchestral enjoying, Søndergård conjured an exuberant joyous end result for this wonderful concerto.
The Fourth is the primary in a cycle of all of the Brahms symphonies to be carried out this season. The opening Allegro non troppo began on the strings with an opulent heat, vividly enhanced by the woodwind with notable solo contributions from Bryan on the flute, Adrian Wilson on the oboe, and Christopher Gough on the horn. In the second motion (Andante moderato) the Danish conductor was blessed by his musicians’ intensely lovely enjoying, adorned by delightfully nuanced strings and an exquisitely eloquent solo passage from the clarinet of Timothy Orpen. The third motion (Allegro giocoso) opened with a vivid burst of exuberant harmonies, with the timpani, brass, percussion and complete orchestra having fun with this expression of all of the charming joys of life. In the finale (Allegro energetico e passionato) there adopted a wonderful set of variations, bejewelled by Bryan’s flute, Wilson’s oboe and the brass group earlier than the energetic shut.
This is the final live performance on the Royal Concert Hall earlier than it undergoes a number of weeks of renovation – the primary because it was opened in October 1990. Forthcoming live shows will probably be on the orchestra’s former residence, the City Halls at Candleriggs which is presently the house of the BBC SSO and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Gregor Tassie