United Kingdom Moussa, Richard Strauss and Sibelius: Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha (soprano), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Kevin John Edusei (conductor). Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, 28.2.2026. (CP)
Sammy Moussa – Adgilis Deda: Hymn for orchestra
R. Strauss – Four Last Songs
Sibelius – Symphony No.2 in D major Op.43
Famous conductors including Beecham, Gibson, Barbirolli, Mackerras and Vasily Petrenko have built Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s now long-standing tradition of performing the works of Jean Sibelius. Kevin John Edusei enhanced that reputation with a masterclass performance of what he described as the ‘cornerstone of the repertoire – the holy grail piece’. The response by an enthusiastic audience, justified his view that ‘great art deserves the endeavours of RPO players with their strong sense of responsibility’.
Edusei was drawn to Sammy Moussa’s Adgilis Deda: Hymn for orchestra when he heard about the composer’s escape from the bustle of Berlin to hike in Georgia’s Caucasus mountains. During one of these hikes he heard a five-hour long Orthodox church mass on which the work is based. Beautiful bassoon playing in the most plaintive of moods began a work which built progressively to the wildest of climaxes involving both the wind section, especially the contrabassoon of Fraser Gordon, and brass sections, the latter excelling through the trombones. These trombones were to feature prominently again in the last movement of the Sibelius No.2.
Richard Strauss’s ‘cycle’ of Four Last Songs was his last masterpiece in 1947/48 by which time he had moved from Vienna to Switzerland. The four songs were not composed as a formal, linked cycle and when published posthumously were in a different order than he composed them. Warwick Arts Centre gave Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha the warmest of welcomes as she reached the platform. She gained international recognition by winning the Song Prize at the BBC Singer of the World in Cardiff in 2021. Winning the Herbert von Karajan Prize in 2024 further enhanced her reputation. Audience members warmed to her brilliant and rich voice, a voice comfortable in all the emotional moments of this final love letter to the composer’s wife of nearly 60 years. She handled the themes of longing for spring, summer ending and falling asleep (texts by Hesse) and a farewell reflection of a life journey (text by Eichendorff) with crystal-clear diction and mannerisms which those in the front stalls witnessed to their great pleasure.
The orchestra took time to appreciate the vast contrast between the wild climax of the Moussa Hymn for orchestra and what is required to support a Strauss song! Sadly, Masabane was somewhat overwhelmed by the auditory bombardment permitted by Edusei, fortunately corrected before the second song, the balance much improved for the remaining songs. She showed anguish at times, with quicksilver mood swings necessary in the songs, and where appropriate, a keen use of dissonance to build tension. Her reception was nothing short of ecstatic; she is a rare talent capable of growing into an outstanding performer in the next decade.
Few works enjoy a more distinguished discography than Sibelius Second Symphony; all those exceptional conductors listed at the top of this review feature in RPO recordings of it and they remain justifiably popular. RPO’s performance at Warwick Arts Centre showed all the skill and flair of those indisputably great performances. Vast ranks of first and second violins were exceptionally precise, most especially in the long pizzicato sections of the tranquil first movement. The horns delivered the pace that movement requires, trombones too, prompting a brilliant flourish to end the movement. This was RPO at its best! The six double basses and some glorious bassoon delivery along with the cello desks, all helped to develop the mood of apprehension with extraordinarily sensitive pizzicato playing, and the second movement’s oppressiveness was achieved as the composer wanted. The third movement, the scherzo, begins in an agitated, restless mood led by the stunning strings and starring members of the wind section – the oboes of John Roberts and Hannah Condliffe. Without pause, the scherzo links directly to the final movement as the work builds to the triumphant conclusion and thrilling ending with those muted trombones increasing the cumulative impact – hair-raising excitement indeed! Majestic playing supported the view that this movement is the emotional anchor of the work, bringing back memories of old-school spine-tingling thrills of the Barbirolli recording with RPO.
Clive Peacock