United Kingdom Maconchy, Walton, Vaughan Williams: Rebecca Gilliver (cello), Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha (soprano), Will Liverman (baritone), London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor), Barbican Hall, London, 9.2.2025. (JR)
Elizabeth Maconchy – Nocturne for Orchestra
Walton – Cello Concerto
Vaughan Williams – A Sea Symphony (Symphony No.1)
I cannot recall whether over many decades of concert going I have heard any of British-Irish composer Elizabeth Maconchy’s works before but just on the evidence of this concert, that is certainly my loss. This fine performance of her orchestral Nocturne, composed in 1950, was a veritable ear-opener. All credit to Sir Antonio Pappano for introducing her work to a wider audience. The impressionistic Nocturne was delightful, evoking a moonlit night, superficially tranquil with an underlying ominous mood. Use of harp and celeste added to the sparkle, the work’s ending serene and ethereal. I wanted the piece to go on after its seven minutes, which is a sign of a good work. I was certainly left wanting to hear more of Maconchy’s works; if that was Pappano’s intention, mission accomplished.
Walton’s Cello Concerto is not very frequently performed hereabouts, which is a pity, as it has a distinct charm, especially its haunting opening melody which returns towards the work’s close. In the hands of LSO Principal Rebecca Gilliver it received a very sympathetic performance, Gilliver proclaiming the work as a personal favourite. Gilliver was attuned to every nuance and frequently displayed her virtuosity on her instrument. The work itself has much gentle appeal with both playful and reflective passages. Gilliver’s quasi-cadenzas in the second and fourth variations of the finale (Tema ed improvvisazioni) had the audience spellbound. The audience and her orchestra colleagues gave Gilliver the warmest applause, and Pappano gave her a big hug and a whisper to her ear. ‘Very well done’ I suspect.
Vaughan Williams’s Sea Symphony is also not a frequent visitor to the concert hall. It needs a large orchestra and a more than competent choir. It starts with a thrilling blast from the brass and the choir bursts in with ‘Behold the sea!’ that sends shivers down the spine. The London Symphony Chorus was well up to the task in this choral tour de force. It is a pity that most of the words sung by the chorus in the first section of the opening movement (‘A song for all seas, all ships’) were drowned out by an over-eager orchestra; later Pappano dampened their enthusiasm to allow the words to be more audible. The chorus excelled, including in the tricky Scherzo, and did not run out of vocal power.
The two soloists were first-rate. American baritone Will Liverman fitted the bill to perfection, with the clearest of diction with the odd American pronunciation (admittedly the work is set to poems by American poet Walt Whitman). South African Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha’s top notes were simply spectacular, and her stage presence most impressive, singing much from memory.
It was good to hear this work in the concert hall, it does not get that many outings. The work’s ending is a beautiful moment, a haunting evocation of a gentle seascape: dynamics perfectly controlled by Pappano.
The LSO now go on tour to America: California, Florida and New York – catch them if you can.
John Rhodes