Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mariss Jansons (conductor)
Wen-Sinn Yang (cello)
30 April 2005 - Symphony Hall, Birmingham
How refreshing to hear an orchestra so in rapport with their
chief conductor. But how could anyone not love Mariss Jansons?
Mature in years but young in spirit, inspiring, imaginative and
never one to get in the way of the music.
Massive forces were fielded for Strauss's rarely played Don Quixote, although brass was somewhat hidden (playing into music stands) and not on the top 'shelf' as is more normal. Rather overpowering for woodwind, one suspected.
Orchestral solos were a-plenty in Brahms's Symphony No. 2, in particular a mellow rounded horn and oboe — the latter more molasses than fragrant nectar. Familiar melodies juxtaposed with Mendelssohn-like lightness, but top strings erred too often on the wiry side, in spite of immaculate ensemble. Overexposure with the piece, one suspected. This was a vigorous interpretation, ending in spine-tingling downward brass scales and a blazing conclusion. End of a tour? Correct!
A cheering audience was rewarded with a
calm-before-the-storm encore of Haydn's charming Serenade, the final magical whisper challenging even Symphony Hall's acoustics. The spectacular evening ended with Prokofiev's terrifying "Death of Tybalt" [from Romeo and Juliet], featuring
hair-raising, super-charged unison strings: no problem for these wizards.
