United Kingdom Raksin, Ravel, Vaughan Williams: Bertrand Chamayou (piano), London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor), Barbican Corridor, London 18.4.2024. (JR)
David Raksin – The Dangerous and the Lovely – Suite
Ravel – Piano Concerto in G main
Vaughan Williams – Symphony No. 5
David Raksin was not a reputation I knew, not being a movie music buff. Born in Philadelphia in 1912, he scored over 100 movies and 300 TV exhibits. His father led a cinema orchestra and infrequently performed saxophone within the Philadelphia Orchestra. He impressed Gershwin, drew liberally on jazz and the Nice American Songbook however has been reasonably eclipsed by the likes of European émigrés Max Steiner, Franz Waxman and Erich Korngold. His most well-known scores embrace Laura (1944), Endlessly Amber (1947) and The Dangerous and the Lovely (1952). He believed firmly within the high quality of movie music, concluding that ‘people who find themselves sceptical about its worth ought to be condemned to look at movies with out it’. Raksin’s suite elaborated on themes from the rating of The Dangerous and the Lovely. After a glitzy fanfare opening, the principle theme sweeps in on plush strings: saxophone provides to the sensation of sexual attract or murky actuality. There’s a gradual motion, a lightweight quirky scherzo (essentially the most attention-grabbing motion for my part) and a bluesy finale (Nocturne and Scene). My thoughts wandered, the melodies not imprinting themselves on my mind. The piece served as an introduction to a diverse programme, no matter have been one’s ideas of movie music. The London Symphony Orchestra was one of many first orchestras to document movie music and, to be truthful, this has generated a lot revenue for them. Antonio Pappano and the orchestra regarded fairly at house on this style and so they gave it their full consideration.
Bertrand Chamayou hails from Toulouse. His many profitable recordings embrace music by César Franck and piano concertos Nos. 2 and 5 by Camille Saint-Saëns – this garnered him the Gramophone Recording of the 12 months in 2019. The one artist to win France’s prestigious Victoires de la Musique on 5 events, he was awarded the 2016 ECHO Klassik for his recording of Ravel’s full works for solo piano. On the power of this live performance efficiency, I can presently consider nobody who might play this concerto higher. It was merely phenomenal. I simply felt sorry for these seated on the right-hand aspect of the corridor who couldn’t marvel at Chamayou’s digital athleticism on the keyboard. The music got here alive, cementing my view that the work is a masterpiece; aided by Pappano’s diligent accompaniment. Chamayou displayed lightning pace within the quick passages and tenderness within the slower components, tinkling on the higher reaches of the keyboard; his crossed fingers have been a pleasure to look at. Glistening harp glissandi (Bryn Lewis) and ravishing cor anglais (Augustin Gorisse) added to the combination. Warmest applause was rewarded by a suitably delicate encore by Debussy, his prelude The woman with the flaxen hair.
Pappano gave us a really positive account of Vaughan Williams’s Fifth Symphony which most admirers of this composer regard as his most interesting symphony. It’s sandwiched between two conflict symphonies which assault the senses with their brutality: the Fifth is an optimistic breath of contemporary air. Composed between 1938 and 1943 within the depths of the English countryside, it shares one thing of the mood of his opera Pilgrim’s Progress as a piece of visionary longing. (Why will we at all times see photos of the English countryside when listening to so lots of English composer’s works, notably the string writing? That could be a dialogue for an additional time). Sir Adrian Boult wrote to the composer after listening to the symphony that ‘its serene loveliness … exhibits, as solely music can, what we should work for when this insanity [World War II] is over’.
The mysterious opening of the symphony with its distant horn calls delivered to thoughts the closing bars of Britten’s Peter Grimes, composed simply a few years later. The Romanza is likely one of the most touching gradual actions in all symphonic works, simply a match for Mahler’s extra well-known Adagietto in his Fifth Symphony. It introduced tears to the eyes. Once more, it was Augustin Gorisse on cor anglais who caught the ear, along with Juliana Koch (oboe). Pappano and the orchestra obtained enormous applause, it’s actually a fantastic musical partnership within the making, charismatic Pappano being a transparent viewers favorite.
The efficiency was recorded dwell for future launch on the LSO’s document label, LSO Stay. It was a very fantastic efficiency and a positive finish to an attention-grabbing and diverse programme.
John Rhodes
