I bought what was about the last ticket in the upper circle in November . Busy as it was last night from my lofty perch I counted about 200 empty seats . I am not sure if that was because of the inclement weather or conservative members of the audience demanding their money back when Mozart's Symphony No 36 was replaced by the Maxwell Davies trumpet concerto with no less a soloist than Hakan Hardenburger .
In whichever class the absentees fell more fool them . The Maxwell Davies Concerto should not scare any horses being a very accessible piece and heavens did they do it justice the wild whirling final Presto in particular .My immediate thought how much Maxwell Davies might have loved to have heard it in such a terrific performance conducted of course by a trumpeter .
Then a Bruckner 4 to treasure - not only the playing , superb from all but especially from the viola section and woodwind but also an interpretation that in many ways played more to Bruckner's forebears than Wagner - a glorious Opening movement much the most Schubertian Bruckner I have ever heard . An account of the Andante to make your heart sing, a wonderfully characterised Scherzo and Trio and then a finale played for all its worth but also with terrific transparency leading to a breathtakingly well paced final crescendo .
Magnificent all round and how not only the audience but also the orchestra showed their appreciation of their former music director as after three ovations in which he saluted the principals on the fourth the orchestra refused to rise and waved their bows clapped and some even stamped their feet .
PS and his could I miss out some of the most beautiful horn playing I have ever heard from Elspeth Dutch !
In whichever class the absentees fell more fool them . The Maxwell Davies Concerto should not scare any horses being a very accessible piece and heavens did they do it justice the wild whirling final Presto in particular .My immediate thought how much Maxwell Davies might have loved to have heard it in such a terrific performance conducted of course by a trumpeter .
Then a Bruckner 4 to treasure - not only the playing , superb from all but especially from the viola section and woodwind but also an interpretation that in many ways played more to Bruckner's forebears than Wagner - a glorious Opening movement much the most Schubertian Bruckner I have ever heard . An account of the Andante to make your heart sing, a wonderfully characterised Scherzo and Trio and then a finale played for all its worth but also with terrific transparency leading to a breathtakingly well paced final crescendo .
Magnificent all round and how not only the audience but also the orchestra showed their appreciation of their former music director as after three ovations in which he saluted the principals on the fourth the orchestra refused to rise and waved their bows clapped and some even stamped their feet .
PS and his could I miss out some of the most beautiful horn playing I have ever heard from Elspeth Dutch !
. I guess just for myself, if I were forced to choose only one, I would go for Idomeneo, again for the "gap filler" reason in my own personal concert-going experiences.
Comment