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United Kingdom Khachaturian, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky: Armenian State Symphony Orchestra / Sergey Smbatyan (conductor). Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 19.2.2023. (GT)
Khachaturian – Excerpts from Spartacus
Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64
Tchaikovsky – Symphony No.4 in F minor, Op.36
This is the orchestra’s second tour of the UK, however the first to Scotland, and primarily based on this efficiency, it shouldn’t be the final. This 12 months marks the one hundred and twentieth anniversary of Armenia’s nice composer Aram Khachaturian’s beginning. I nicely keep in mind attending an pleasant efficiency of Spartacus on the Bolshoi Theatre and seeing the composer and his spouse (a fellow composer Nina Makarova) congratulating the conductor on the finish of the present.
Khachaturian wrote a number of ballets and three concertos for cello, violin and piano, every displaying brilliance in orchestration and invention within the Lisztian fashion. They additionally require good virtuosity, which has resulted of their relative obscurity within the live performance corridor. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, the composer studied with Nicolai Myaskovsky and wrote extraordinary avant-garde items in his youth. The Piano Concerto and Violin Concerto are the items which established his profession as a composer, however he earned his bread by writing an excessive amount of incidental music for the theatre, cinema and ballet. His three symphonies are all fairly totally different, and his Third is a rare work deserving of larger reputation.
The first excerpt from Spartacus, the ‘Variation of Aegina and the Bacchanalia’ was thrilling in characterising the drama of the arrival of the Emperor to Rome with good harmonies from the woodwind group and rhapsodic colors from the sleek strings. It was adopted by the romance of the ‘Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia’ with the strings led by Erik Manukyan bringing out all of the spectacular colors of this piece. Of course, for these sufficiently old to recollect, this music gained enormous reputation within the seventies when it was the theme tune of BBC TV’s The Onedin Line.
Since Jennifer Pike gained the BBC Young Musician of the Year on the age of 12 years and shortly adopted this by profitable the Menuhin International Violin Competition, she has progressed as an excellent musician on the worldwide live performance stage. She has additionally made some advantageous recordings together with discs of Polish works – a big characteristic in her exploring unfamiliar repertoire. She has fastidiously developed a repertoire mixing the classics with new music, with the good common classics.
The Mendelssohn concerto opened with the briefly vibrant introduction to the Allegro molto appassionato, earlier than Pike introduced the primary concept, heard over fragile quaver figures within the strings, which constructed up in whirling triplets repeated fortissimo by the orchestra. The younger English violinist was magnificent within the sequence of virtuosity exhibiting good runs, passages and double stops. Ultimately, Pike’s violin descended to a mild pianissimo. The cadenza was performed with nice authority and broad arpeggios coming to an ardently affected shut. The Andante opened with a fantastic theme from the soloist of prodigious concord supported fantastically by the orchestra. In the finale (Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace) conductor Sergey Smbatyan evinced all of the fairy story colors of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and allowed this major concept to dominate with the languishing violin concept posing as a counterpoint to the principal theme. This reversal in harmonies led to the brilliance of the ultimate coda. In response to the enthusiastic applause, Pike performed an encore of the Sarabande by Bach.
It was fascinating to listen to Smbatyan’s studying of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony – which additionally options on this season’s Royal Scottish National Orchestra live performance sequence of the ultimate three symphonies. Personally, I’d have most popular one in all Khachaturian’s three symphonies, however this masterwork definitely permits one to guage the requirements of the orchestra. The Fourth was the composer’s first nice work within the style, and we all know intimately the composer’s ideas from the affiliation together with his sponsor Nadezhda von Meck.
In the opening (Andante sostenuto) the theme of destiny was introduced by the trumpets and horns – as Tchaikovsky wrote ‘This power hangs constantly over our heads, like Damocles’ sword.’ The secondary dream-like theme was intoned eloquently by the virtuosic woodwind. Smbatyan dealt with the contrasting themes displaying an excellent sensitivity. The conductor doesn’t use a podium or a baton and avoids extreme drama. It was clear that every part was ready upfront together with his musicians ably fulfilling his alternative of tempi and instructions. It was good to see the enjoyment displayed on the younger faces of the Armenian musicians in among the passages.
The second motion (Andantino in modo di canzona) opened in a melancholic idiom characterised nicely by the oboe of Martine Varnik. The people music theme was heard within the clarinets and bassoons in a dance-like sequence heralding the reprise of the primary concept from the violins and the bassoons. The third motion (Scherzo: Pizzicato ostinato – Allegro) opened spectacularly with pizzicato strings invoking the sound of plucking balalaikas, heralding vibrant arabesques. Then the oboe led to the Trio invocation of a carousing peasant music and a avenue music, and imagery of a far-off march – masterly performed by Smbatyan.
The Finale: Allegro con fuoco launched a flamboyant surge of music earlier than the folksong ‘In the woods, there stood a birch tree’ unleashed a vibrant sequence of variations, every displaying the exceptional virtuosity of the advantageous orchestra. The passage constructed to an thrilling festivity earlier than the return of the theme of destiny and Smbatyan dramatically launching into the ultimate end result of excessive spirits and nice pleasure.
This was an pleasant live performance from musicians who clearly get pleasure from bringing their compatriot’s music to audiences removed from Armenia, and one hopes that this ensemble will go to Scotland as soon as once more, maybe with extra music from him.
Gregor Tassie
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