CityLife

The Hallé: Dvorák, Mendelssohn, Beethoven

BBC Philharmonic
Hallé
Bridgewater Hall
December 9, 2009

THE last regular programmes of the 2009 orchestral season at the Bridgewater Hall have that half-Christmassy feel you get before the truly festive ones.

The BBC Philharmonic went for ballet music, with a generous set of excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake in the second half of their December 4 programme. The beginning was well-known, too (though a late addition): three numbers from Khachaturian's ballet, Gayane, the last of them the thundering Sabre Dance.

Under conductor Gianandrea Noseda they made a scintillating start, with the equally lively Hopak - superbly controlled accelerations there - and the Sabre Dance boisterous as they come.

Joker in the pack was the complete Marsia, by Dallapiccola, one of Mr Noseda's 'Neglected Geniuses' of choice. It was probably a UK premiere, so you can see just how neglected the Italian composer has been.

As a performed ballet, nothing much happens (Marsia challenges Apollo, loses and comes to a sticky end). As pure music, there are glowing sounds, but it's hard to love the notes themselves.

Swan Lake, though, is much-loved music. Gianandrea Noseda took the traditional liberty of those conducting ballet scores in concert, of choosing a few speeds that would make the dance steps impossible - but with thrills and beauties to gladden the heart.

Beauty of tone

What delight, too, to hear the violin solo of the 'White Swan' pas de deux superbly played, by leader Yuri Torchinsky. That's a treat you don't often get from the theatre pit.

The Hallé's December Opus One programme has two favourites - Mendelssohn's violin concerto and Beethoven's fifth symphony - plus a Dvořák tone poem, The Water Goblin, which may have been new to many.

I think they will have been glad to make its acquaintance, judging by the way Ewa Strusińska conducted it. 

The precision of rhythms, transparency of texture and beauty of tone she brought to it were the most impressive credentials any conductor could offer - and the forward-thrusting sense of drama and passionate expression she secured were evidence that the Hallé's assistant conductor has the same instincts as her boss, Sir Mark Elder.

Jennifer Pike played the concerto with gorgeous tone and impeccable phrasing, most clearly heard in its slower, lyrical passages, and the orchestra's wind players passed the keeping-in-sync test admirably in the finale.

Beethoven's fifth was a triumph, its blaring emphases on horn and wind in the opening given unabashed emphasis, and pace and accentuation driving it on. The second movement was notable for Ewa Strusińska's skilful weaving together of its strands and clear vision of its shape.

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