United Kingdom Mozart, Respighi, Saint-Saëns: Paul Lewis (pianist), Belgian National Orchestra / Roberto González-Monjas (conductor). Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 6.11.2022. (GT)
Respighi – Preludio corale e fuga, P.30
Mozart – Piano Concerto No.25 in C major, KV.503
Saint-Saëns – Symphony No.3 in C minor, Op.78 ‘Organ Symphony’
This second concert in the Usher Hall’s ‘Sunday Classics’ series of international orchestras hosted an ensemble making their debut visit to Scotland’s capital. This matinee performance was in the middle of the Belgian National Orchestra’s eight-concert tour following their Cadogan Hall concert last week. It is strange that this outstanding orchestra has not been heard here before as it was abundantly clear from the opening bars of their outstanding class.
If the two main works in this programme are well known, the piece by Respighi was unknown to me, certainly in the concert hall, or on recordings, which is a pity as it is a beautifully colourful piece and displays all the virtuosity of the BNO. Composed at the age of twenty-two, the Prelude, Chorale and Fugue was Respighi’s graduation piece when he completed his studies at the Liceo Musicale di Bologna with Giuseppe Martucci. Following its premiere in Bologna in 1901, Martucci proclaimed that his pupil was ‘a master’ and certainly Respighi’s understanding of orchestral colour is fully evident, and also perhaps owing to his studies in St Petersburg with Rimsky-Korsakov.
Written in three movements, there is no break in the performance, with the opening Preludio starting with several portentous chords on the brass (Lento) before a very romantic theme opens on strings which becomes very engaging when passed across the orchestra’s string groups and the woodwind. In the main Chorale theme the brass group led by the glorious trombones and trumpets suggests an association with Saint-Saëns in its melodies. This catchy tune was especially finely presented by the two flutes, and there was an exotically colourful solo violin part for the outstanding Misako Akama in a passage of great virtuosity and accompanied in part by the two harps. This heralded the Fuga on the strings quickly joined by the woodwind and brass in which the different orchestral groups entered into dialogue with each other rather than as an exacting fugal composition. The closing bars reprised the Chorale theme before the entire ensemble closed triumphantly on golden hued brass. This was a tremendously fine performance and hopefully our own orchestras could explore more of this still rarely heard composer in their concert programmes. It was clear through the energetic direction by the Spanish conductor González-Monjas that he believes in this attractive music.
Joined by Paul Lewis, the orchestra was reduced for one of Mozart’s most popular and magnificent late concertos. The opening movement (Allegro maestoso) was superbly introduced, but some string playing was a little uncertain, and interestingly, the timpani – now played by Katia Godart – brought out the dramatic associations with the Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. The ambiguity of Mozart’s music was resolved by Lewis’s entry on the keyboard as he revealed all the splendid opulence before the Adagio transported us into a world of peaceful idyll with a sequence of playing by the oboe of Arnaud Guittet and the flute of Denis-Pierre Gustin in a graceful discourse with Lewis.
The final Rondo movement heralded briskly handled transitions between A minor and F major with Lewis introducing a mood changing theme based on falling phrases, and again we heard a passage of superlative music-making in which the oboe and flute voiced a gorgeous idea, while the strings deftly accompanied the soloist before the eloquent bassoon of Gordon Fantini, was joined by the oboe and flute. The dream-like sequence disappeared, and the prosaic rondo theme returned and brought this masterpiece to an exciting close.
In the Saint-Saëns ‘Organ’ Symphony, it was cheering to hear the Usher Hall’s great organ, (the Norman and Beard of Norwich), on this occasion performed here by Darius Battiwalla. In Scotland we hear an electronic organ too often rather than the glorious harmonies of the pipe organ. Right from the opening chords of the Adagio the exciting romanticism were enhanced with the strings showing world-class virtuosity with their velvety nuanced colours, and enhanced by the oboe of Bram Nolf, and the flutes heralding a suspense-filled passage before the prodigious theme with its citation of the Latin mass ‘Dies irae’. There were magnificent contributions from the trombones and trumpets – all persuasively conducted by the conductor. Throughout Gonzáles-Monjas showed great technique by constantly conjuring every ounce of romanticism from his musicians. He is a tall dominating figure at the rostrum and without any relent he pushed the orchestra to the heights of performance. I am sure that this young conductor will be appearing regularly with our orchestras as he has great talent in diverse repertoire.
In every department of this Belgian orchestra there are brilliant virtuosi emphasised by the brilliantly performed solo passages divided between the musicians. The first violins are a very well-disciplined group with a golden bloom that was especially evident in the extended passages in the second movement – generally the tone colour of the strings is remarkably harmonious while the woodwind and brass are comparable to any of the finest European ensembles. The organ passages accompanied, firstly, in the second movement (Allegro moderato) by the piano of Dino Anglani, and later in the Finale (Molto allegro), now on four hands shared with Ilze De Maeyer were magnificent. This passage was majestic in sharing a transformative magical sequence with the mighty organ (Maestoso) rising to a breath-taking culmination to this great French romantic symphony.
This was a tremendous matinee concert, and hopefully we will have this top-class orchestra back again in the next few seasons.
Gregor Tassie
As a member of the Belgian National Orchestra thank you for this wonderful review of our concert: we enjoyed every moment of this tour, and for sure the times that a real organ could make Saint-Saëns’ work even bigger! {Edited]