The First Night of
the Proms tonight featured works by Nielsen, Gary Carpenter, Mozart, Sibelius
and Walton with the BBC Singers, BBC National Chorus of Wales, BBC Symphony
Chorus and BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo with pianist Lars
Vogt and baritone Christopher Maltman
This year is the 150th anniversary of the birth
of both Nielsen and Sibelius and is celebrated by a number of performances of works
by these composers. Nielsen will be featured in a further six Proms and Sibelius
in another five programmes.
Nielsen’s Maskarade Overture
is taken from his comic opera of that name, first produced in 1906. All the
Nielsen fingerprints were here with Oramo finding many moments of attractive
detail yet with a fine overall sweep and, towards the end, a real feeling of joie
de vivre.
Gary Carpenter’s Dadaville, www.garycarpenter.net a BBC commission received its world premiere
at tonight’s Prom. Dadaville was inspired
by a relief by Max Ernst exhibited at the Tate Liverpool. In the composer’s
words the piece starts gently and builds momentum based on the notes D and A
which inform the whole piece.
As the music slowly and quietly opened there seemed to be
very much the sound world of Britten in one of his Sea Interludes, an exquisitely
conceived opening. Soon, however, there were little instrumental outbursts around
the moments of tranquil beauty. As the work grew there were moments of
disruptive, menacing undertones, as the music slowly built, insistently, with
jazz style brass phrases to a final climax with the surprise of fireworks to conclude.
A brilliant piece from a composer that I am becoming increasingly drawn towards.
Lars Vogt joined Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor,
K.466. Oramo brought a lovely refined yet intense opening to this concerto with
Vogt, when he entered, keeping something of a reserve. He brought a lightness
of touch which, together with a great forward thrust, was wholly appealing
though occasionally I would have liked a little more dramatic intensity. Oramo responded with some lovely light crisp
phrasing. It was in the finale that Vogt and the orchestra really took off,
seemingly building to this point, full of fire and thrust though with some, lovely
gentler moments, finely nuanced.
After the interval Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra brought
us Sibelius’ Suite Belshazzar's Feast.
Sibelius had, in 1906, put aside work on his promised third symphony in order
to work on his incidental music for Hjalmar Procopé’s play Belshazzars gästabud (Belshazzar's Feastfrom) from which he later drew
an orchestral suite.
This rarity in the concert hall shows this most Finnish of
composers bringing a real taste of the Orient in the opening Oriental Procession. Oramo carefully
built the music before moving into a beautifully and sensitively drawn Solitude, finding a gentle, sultry
quality, hauntingly beautiful. Nocturne
rose with an exquisite flute melody, beautifully played by the BBC Symphony
Orchestra’s principal. Some beautifully shaped woodwind led into the final
section, Khadra’s Dance bringing exquisitely
light textures to conclude a lovely performance.
Walton’s Belshazzar's Feast has been immensely popular since
its first performance at the Leeds Festival in 1931, soon being taken up by the
larger choral societies. Tonight, right from the beginning, the BBC Singers,
BBC National Chorus of Wales and the BBC Symphony Chorus were phenomenal,
particularly in Walton’s sometimes rather declamatory passages. Oramo drew a wonderfully
dark atmosphere at the outset with some particularly rich sonorous textures
from the BBCSO. Christopher Maltman brought a rich, strong, finely characterised
performance. This fine bass baritone was absolutely tremendous in the mercilessly
exposed solo part “Praise Ye – The God of Gold”. Oramo brought superb pacing
and control with lovely choral harmonies from the Chorus.
There was a spellbinding moment as the writing appeared on
the wall and Belshazzar was weighed in the balance and found wanting. The BBC
Symphony Orchestra, with the BBC Singers, BBC National Chorus of Wales, BBC
Symphony Chorus and the Royal Albert Hall organ certainly did make ‘a joyful
noise to the God of Jacob’, in the final Alleluia.
Overall, this was an outstanding First Night.
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