United Kingdom Sibelius, Prokofiev, Stravinsky: Andrej Power (violin), London Symphony Orchestra / Klaus Mäkelä (conductor), Barbican Hall, London 10.11.2024. (JR)
Sibelius – Tapiola, Op.112
Prokofiev – Violin Concerto No.2, Op.63
Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring
This was my first opportunity to see and hear the new Finnish musical Wunderkind, Klaus Mäkelä and I must admit I had read quite a few reviews of his previous concerts and recordings over the last few years, not all of them entirely complimentary; is Mäkelä going to be a Marmite conductor? I was determined not to attend this concert with any prior prejudicial thoughts and treat the concert as a blank canvas.
Four major orchestras just cannot be wrong; and critics can be. First, the Oslo grabbed him as their new boss, then the Orchestre de Paris; and now he will relinquish both in favour of the Concertgebouw and the Chicago Symphony. All these orchestras seem to have formed an instant rapport with and respect for this stylish young man. And he is only 28. I will save for another day a discussion as to why Finland can produce such a string of top conductors, but I suspect funding music in schools and colleges has a lot to do with it.
Admittedly, Mäkelä chose works which he knows very well for this debut concert with the London Symphony Orchestra, taking no risks with repertoire which he is still learning. So, no surprise that there was Sibelius in the programme, though Tapiola is not such easy listening. The piece personifies Scandinavian nature at its most extreme: endless, mysterious, uninhabited, frozen forests. Mäkelä conjured up this vision most evocatively from the very opening. The brass (especially the tubas) growled mournfully, the trumpets blazed but, above all, the chilling and frenzied strings lashed up an icy, howling wind. Mäkelä went for some startlingly slow tempi, extreme dynamics and a stabbing baton.
After that, the concerto was somewhat lame. The concerto is a lovely work, but the soloist (one of the LSO’s Leaders, Andrej Power) did not quite bring the work alive. Power had no difficulty surmounting the technical hurdles (double stops and harmonics in particular) and his acrobatic fingerwork certainly had the audience transfixed. Although Power, playing a 1708 Strad, had a warm tone, his undemonstrative playing lacked some character. I yearned for some more flamboyance in the Allegro, ben marcato finale. Mäkelä’s at times jaunty accompaniment kept a low profile, which was all to the good. Power received a very generous reception from the audience and his orchestral colleagues. His relaxed encore, together with fellow Leader Benjamin Marquise Gilmore, was more enjoyable, a charming extract from Louis Spohr’s Grand Duo for two violins.
No holds were barred in Mäkelä’s approach to The Rite of Spring. Chi-Yu Mo’s shrieking E-flat clarinet made us aware of how menacingly and vehement the piece was going to unfold. The timpani was struck hard and with every instrument played to their utmost the result was stunning. Mäkelä employed jagged, wild gestures and brought the young Leonard Bernstein to mind: but he also smiled throughout and brought out sounds in the piece I had never heard before. It was clear why so many musicians think so highly of him.
Interestingly, there seemed nothing much wrong with the oft-criticised Barbican Hall’s acoustics; the elemental passages were very loud, the soft passages were audible and transparent. Discordances were not prettified. Perhaps we don’t need a new concert hall in the City after all (not that one is on the cards in the current climate). Mäkelä had a real workout in this turbulent piece, but hardly raised a sweat. He already seems to have a burgeoning fan club, judging from the raucous cheers at the end of the work. If the LSO can afford him, and if his busy future calendar allows, we can but hope that we see him again soon in London. His turbo-charged concerts should not, on any account, be missed.
John Rhodes
Fabulous evening last night at the Barbican! This is the third time I have seen Klaus Mäkelä conduct.
The first was with The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in The Netherlands, the second was at Carnegie Hall with The Orchestre de Paris and then last night with the London Symphony Orchestra. I had the treat of meeting Mr. Mäkelä in NYC outside the stage door when he finished his performance there and his personality is as exciting and gracious as his conducting skills. Something special! If you get a chance go and see him. He’s truly a delight!