United Kingdom Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms: Martin Helmchen (piano); Philharmonia Orchestra / Alessandro Crudele (conductor). Teatro Petruzzelli Bari, Italy, 26.11.2024. (CC)
Beethoven – Fidelio – Overture, Op.72 (1814)
Mozart – Piano Concerto No.16 in D, Ok 451 (1784)
Brahms – Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op.98 (1885)
This was the primary of two live shows within the Philharmonia’s tour of Puglia, Italy. The second was in Teatro Curci, Barletta, the second in honour of Carlo Maria Giulini (‘In onore di Carlo Maria Giulini’; Barletta is town of Giulini’s delivery).
The Bari programme may seem to be a normal overture-concerto-symphony one, but it surely held actual magic. The Mozart Piano Concerto was one of many lesser-known ones, No.16 in D, Ok 451, carried out magically by Martin Helmchen; the Beethoven and Brahms emerged with an invigorating freshness of method due to the route of the Milanese conductor (of Apulian extraction) Alessandro Crudele.
Crudele has made a reputation for himself with two important releases on the Linn label, certainly one of Respighi (together with the not often heard Belkis, regna di Saba) and certainly one of Britten (‘Sea Interludes’ from Peter Grimes) and Elgar (Violin Concerto with Michael Barenboim), each on the Linn label. Crudele’s fascination with conducting was bolstered by an opportunity assembly with Giulini whereas a teen; later, he went to Berlin (the place he now lives) to review with Sir Simon Rattle.
This distinctive pedigree is maximally realised in Crudele. I used to be fortunate to listen to a number of the rehearsal within the beautiful Teatro Petruzzelli: Crudele is aware of precisely what he desires and tips on how to get it, and shortly. Rehearsal factors are fastidiously focused, spotlighting points succinctly and precisely. He’s involved with element however within the context of the general construction, and as we will see, this comes throughout within the closing performances.
So to Beethoven’s Fidelio Overture, the pocket-rocket alternative for the Leonore overtures and heard in Vienna in 1814. The entire was distinguished by a way of urgency and singleness of objective. The harmonic consciousness right here was notably notable, that means that pressure was constructed inexorably. Fairly proper, too, that the second horn was singled out after the efficiency for applause: Kira Doherty has repeatedly proved herself as a fantastic participant over the course of many London live shows, and he or she excelled right here. Any errors in ensemble total have been minor compared to the convincing sweep to the account.
It was fascinating to listen to Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.16 in D main: one of many rarer concertos in efficiency, this was certainly my first encounter with it in a live performance corridor. And Helmchen and Crudele’s account may hardly be bettered. Miraculously, regardless of a big string quotient, Crudele ensured lightness and transparency from the orchestra. The opening fizzed like a Mozart opera overture; woodwind excelled. Matching this sense of easy lightness was Helmchen. This piano concerto was certainly one of six composed in 1784, evidently a 12 months of a lot compositional fluency for the composer, and the sense of the music simply falling off Mozart’s pen was palpable. Mozart’s keyboard writing leaves the pianist with nowhere to cover, and Helmchen’s felicity of contact was excellent (together with a very even left-hand). Helmchen’s timbral selection is subtly deployed but all the time efficient; however most enchanting was the woodwind/piano dialogue.
The central Andante was a dream, an opera aria for piano. The misleading simplicity of the piano writing introduced forth a large number of subtleties from Helmchen; harmonic turns to the minor have been fantastically honoured by each piano and orchestra, and but extra of these woodwind/piano exchanges enchanted, now oriented in the direction of a extra inside world. Each Helmchen and Crudele discovered extra diversified terrain on this motion than is usually the case, whereas the finale, an Allegro di molto, discovered the orchestra injecting stunning, pointed accents inside each piano and pianissimo. This closing motion is stuffed with contrasts, all excellent, as was, right here, a fantastic flute/piano change. Helmchen supplied a merely phenomenal cadenza, however what shone was the efficiency’s celebration of Mozart’s invention.
Helmchen performed Mozart’s personal cadenzas as if he was the one who was improvising. A Mozart Adagio as encore was the proper strategy to shut the primary half. Curiously, Helmchen has recorded No.16’s neighbour, No.15, for Pentatone with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and Gordan Nikolić, a recording which reveals most of the similar strengths heard in Bari.
And so to Brahms, the absolutely universally-loved Fourth Symphony. Forged in E minor, this symphony asks the query: how relaxed is that this to be? Some performances supply a extra goal view (attempt Ádám Fischer’s current small-orchestra model with the Danish Chamber Orchestra on Naxos, for example), some reveal a bent in the direction of indulgence (the later Karajan, though it’s there in embryo in Lucerne, 1965), while some experience a center path (attempt William Steinberg’s outstanding Pittsburgh efficiency, additionally from 1965). Crudele is of this final selection, creating a way of unfolding that’s however underpinned by a pressure that permits for rubato with out shedding the underling pulse. Attention-grabbing, too, that Crudele created a definably hotter orchestral sound within the orchestra – fairly rightly – than something heard up to now. Right here, woodwind and brass ensemble was brilliantly collectively. And speaking of togetherness, not often have I heard the unison horns on the opening of the Andante moderato as if only one instrument was taking part in, simply with a unique color to that of a single horn (and absolutely that is precisely what Brahms supposed). One ought to acknowledge a merely beautiful cello second, too, of the music blossoming: the cello part is among the Philharmonia’s glories, and Crudele allowed them to shine. The tempo for the motion was fairly sluggish, maybe, however this solely accorded it actual gravitas.
The scherzo was an Allegro giocoso that blazed, a real melding of element and energy. The ultimate passacaglia appeared the one strategy to shut after that: Brahms’s passacaglia masterclass was given simply the correct amount of house to breathe by Crudele whereas permitting the music to stream like Brahmsian lava. The flute solos have been distinctive, hypnotising as they wound like ivy across the composer’s harmonic foundations. Liquid clarinet contributions have been hardly much less spectacular. Nevertheless it was Crudele’s cautious preparation for the trombone chorale entry that sealed the interpretation. The brass arrived as if we had been anticipating them on a regular basis, a second of the utmost the Aristocracy. And the Philharmonia brass (they’re quickly joined by horns) didn’t disappoint.
The Philharmonia delivered the products in distinctive style. It was a outstanding feat for the primary and seconds to remain in tune too, given the huge distance between them and the grounding double basses (all the way in which on the different finish of the Teatro Petruzzelli’s massive stage).
An exquisite live performance. One encore, a Brahms Hungarian Dance within the composer’s personal orchestration. These wishing to discover the recordings of Alessandro Crudele past the Linn releases above may wish to discover his recording of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Piano Concerto No.2 with Pietro Massa, piano, and the Berlin Symphony Orchestra on the Capriccio label: a bravura piece with a robust musical language which cradles probably the most evocative central Romanza.
Colin Clarke
