Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor)
15 November 2005 - Symphony Hall, Birmingham
More glamorous outfits may have glitzed Symphony Hall, but rarely have
there been more rewarding concerts presented here than that offered by the
youthful, no-frills Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra on Tuesday.
Their programme combined the predictable with the brave, the predictable coming with something from their Norwegian homeland. Yet this was a comparative rarity, Grieg's youthful concert overture In Autumn, finely constructed, full of fleeting nostalgia, and with some hint of the composer's wonderful Symphonic Dances.
And then came the brave, Elgar's "Enigma" Variations, no less, brought to the heart of Elgarland, and delivered with a captivating freshness, baggage-less, which made even jaded Midland ears prick up and take notice.
Yan Pascal Tortelier's bright-eyed reading allowed each movement to flow into the next, pausing only after a splendid "Troyte." Woodwind pointing in "RPA" was delicate, and "Ysobel" brought a melting viola solo (enjoyed again in a charmingly halting "Dorabella").
My personal thanks to Tortelier (son of such a great Elgarian father) for an unsentimental "Nimrod," restored to us after so much Establishment hi-jacking in recent days, and for this performance overall, rendered with such clarity and obvious delight by the Oslo players. For the second time here in a week, an organ opportunity was missed in the finale.
Tchaikovsky's magnificent Fourth Symphony was given with both strength and restraint, its searing emotions understated with the classical refinement this tormented composer craved so much. The famous Scherzo was deft and flawless, its pizzicato resonating like a balalaika accompanying Russian folksongs.
The encores were well-chosen: Walton's "Touch her soft
lips and part" (Henry V) for strings alone, before the full orchestra was restored for a rousing "Trepak" from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, extrovert tambourines multiplying like rabbits.
