A Smorgasbord of Sibelius at the Barbican
Last night I attended an all Sibelius programme at the Barbican. And what a delight to see the hall completely sold out! Of course, this would not have always been the case for the Finnish master.
Sir Colin Davis was due to be at the controls but due to ill health he was replaced by Finnish conductor Osmo Vanksa. The early omens were not good. We started with the 6th symphony, the delicacy and poignancy of which I have recently grown to appreciate in large measure. Unfortunately Mr Vanksa and the LSO appeared to treat it as no more than a warm-up exercise. The playing was flabby and flaccid, and the charming textures and undercurrents of the music were rendered somewhat pedestrian. Most dissapointing. The orchestra showed signs of life in the final movement, but too little too late for me!
Next, the Violin Concerto, which I anticipated with high hopes. The soloist was the Greek star Leonidas Kavakos. Interestingly enough he made his name aged 18 by winning the International Sibelius Competition. Such prodigious talent boded well; he's 45 now, but from a distance looks like he's 25! He came to the stage with long hair, a beard and loose black shirt, with a hint of rock star about him. I really wasn't quite sure what this enigmatic character would produce! Many soloists lay down a marker with the opening notes of the concerto, often conjuring a slighly overwrought and dark atmosphere. Not Mr Kavakos, he started in quite a disarmingly understated manner. Like a fine vintage wine, his delights were not to be rushed and revealed at once. Most intriguing!
Slowly but surely, the unfolding textures of his playing revealed an almost stoic romanticism. Lyrical, yes, but not in a showy way like some of the modern soloists. I was actually reminded of some of the great names of the past that I regularly enjoy on vintage vinyl. His pitching was quite superb, with pinpoint accuracy. The sheer quality of the sound that he extracted from his instrument was sweet nectar indeed! One of the finest tones I have heard without doubt and today I discovered that he plays the ‘Abergavenny’ Stradivarius of 1724. Nuff said.
For the first two movements Kavakos remained locked into this somewhat internalising character, inviting us to revel in the depth and atmosphere of the music. I remained spellbound, enraptured and transfixed. At this point I must pay tribute to the LSO and their leader for the evening. Their accompaniment was pretty much flawless. They had definitely woken up, sensing that a world-class violinist deserved some world-class support and they knew that they had to raise their game.
But for the final movement, the shackles were removed and Kavakos unleashed the rock-god within. As his playing gained in vigour his physical movements and gestures became more flamboyant and effusive; allowing himself much more freedom and an almost wild abandonment. But for all this, the sign of a true master, his playing remained in total control. None of us wanted this to end, but when it did, he received a quite wonderfully appreciative ovation from an obviously delighted auditorium. It was lovely to see his own appreciation for the maestro and the LSO - many hugs were exchanged. It was only a year or so ago that I had seen the LSO's principal violinist take to the stage to perform the Sibelius in place of a sick Julia Fischer! There was an obvious bond of appreciation between the two violinists which was really lovely to see indeed.
And so, after we all calmed down, the evening finished with the 7th. I have to admit, that the last time I heard this symphony, I had not appreciated its charm at all. After the dazzling concerto it did feel like a bit of an anti-climax but I did enjoy the 7th this time, as I understand it and Sibelius as a whole, much better. It's a short, one movement symphony for the uninitiated and of course doesn't have the range of the traditionally formed 2nd or 5th. But it is wholly original in form with use of different keys held together by a constant beat. It felt to me like the flight of a bird, swooping around the sky to different heights with strong currents of wind that come and go ... Very organic in nature, with an intensely pantheistic heart that really reaches out to your soul.
Last edited by julesd68; 10-12-2012 at 16:59.
Sonore Rendu - Cambridge Audio Edge W - Sonus Faber Venere 2.5
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