United Kingdom Prokofiev: Igor Levit (piano), Budapest Festival Orchestra / Iván Fischer (conductor). Royal Festival Hall, London, 11.3.2025. (AK)
Conductor Iván Fischer never ceases to surprise; indeed, his skills-set for audience communication seems to include an element of surprise – however small – at all his concerts. For my taste, the surprise elements at this all-Prokofiev concert were not entirely successful but the musical delivery was exemplary.
The Overture on Hebrew Themes was composed for clarinet, string quartet and piano in 1919, one year after Prokofiev left Russia. Commissioned by the Russian-Jewish Zimro Ensemble – earlier all six members of which were fellow pupils with Prokofiev at the St Petersburg music conservatoire – the instrumentation was designed to cater for members of the ensemble although, in the event, Prokofiev played the piano part at the world premiere (February 1920).
The ‘Hebrew Themes’ of the composition consist of two melodies: a joyous instrumental dance tune that was played in Europe by klezmorim, and a Yiddish wedding song, Zayt gezunterheyt (May you stay healthy!). Prokofiev selected these melodies from the collection of Simeon Bellison who was the clarinettist as well as the leader of the Zimro Ensemble.
Understandably, the clarinet gets the most attention in the original sextet version and, although to a lesser extent, also in Prokofiev’s orchestral arrangement of 1934.
As the first surprise of this concert, Iván Fischer had his soloist stand in front of the orchestra but also walk about from time to time as well as jokingly interact with the orchestra as if he played klezmer music. However, the music is Prokofiev – not klezmer – and it is not clear what audience members thought of the clarinettist’s physical presentation. Nevertheless, there was no doubt about the top-quality musical presentation by conductor, soloist (Ákos Ács, principal clarinettist of the orchestra) and orchestra. I am sure that Simeon Bellison, who in due course became principal clarinettist of the New York Philharmonic, would have approved and enjoyed.
The Second Piano Concerto is a great composition but exceptionally difficult for the pianist as well as for conductor and orchestra. Their performance was astonishing all round, immense musicality and utmost disciplined virtuosity was on offer throughout. Owing to the immense difficulties in the score (with no slow movement and long sections of relentlessly driven powerful passages), the orchestra and soloist (the superb Igor Levit) could have easily gone apart from time to time but they did not. Their full concentration, musicality and skills delivered the best possible performance.
After his tour-de-force delivery of the fiendishly difficult concerto, Igor Levit gave us a very lyrical (and breath-takingly played) encore: the last piece from Robert Schumann’s Kinderszenen that is ‘Der Dichter spricht’ (‘The poet speaks’). Levit’s truly poetic lyricism was spellbinding, in spite of several very annoying interferences from some nearby sound system.
This month Fischer, Levit and the orchestra are presenting all five Prokofiev piano concertos (with various other Prokofiev symphonic works) within three-day periods: 17, 18 and 19 March in Budapest; 21, 22 and 23 March in Vienna; 25, 26 and 27 March in Heidelberg: their stamina is mind-boggling as well as exemplary.
After the success of his ballet Cinderella (premiered in 1945, at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre), in 1946 Prokofiev revised his score and created three orchestral suites for the concert hall (Opp. 107-109). Maestro Fischer treated us with a selection of ten pieces from the first and third suites. As the second Fischer surprise for the evening and to be sure that we had some storyline – despite the selection having been chosen for musical variety, not for the story – Fischer paused between each movement and explained what we were going to hear. His mastery of frequently swopping conductor baton with microphone (and back) – and always remembering that he was on an English stage needing to speak English – seems natural to him but it is unusual in the skill sets of other conductors. I am not sure if the narration made for a convincing story but his musical interpretation was fully committed and delightful.
Fischer’s encore on conclusion of the concert was probably intended for a happy ending, even though he announced it as a Gavotte (from Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony) which ‘starts young and concludes old’. I am not entirely sure what he meant but Fischer concluded the piece with an extended ritenuto (which is not marked in my score) and with a magical diminuendo to the final pianissimo (which is indeed marked in my score).
It was a privilege to be present at this high-quality concert attended by a high-quality audience – much to my surprise and delight, nobody clapped between movements either in the piano concerto or between the Cinderella movements – and I will cherish its memory for a long time to come.
Agnes Kory
Featured Image: Iván Fischer conducts pianist Igor Levit and the Budapest Festival Orchestra © Pete Woodhead
Overture on Hebrew Themes arr. for orchestra, Op.34a;
Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op.16
- Andantino
- Scherzo: Vivace
- Intermezzo: Allegro moderato
- Finale: Allegro tempestuoso
Selection from Cinderella Suites
- Pavane
- Pas de châle
- Quarrel
- The Fairy Godmother and Fairy Winter
- Mazurka
- Orientalia
- Cinderella goes to the ball
- Cinderella’s Waltz
- Midnight
- Amoroso