The BBC Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Sakari Oramo, delivered a captivating concert at the Barbican in London, centering on themes of nature and folklore. The program transported the audience from the arid plains of India to the rolling hills of England, with a magical finale in an enchanted garden.
Judith Weir's Ode to the Monsoon
Judith Weir's composition, The Welcome Arrival of Rain, opened the evening with a tribute to the Indian monsoon. Originally conceived as abstract music, Weir later associated it with the life-giving rains that quench parched earth. The piece features glittering fanfares that soar upward, answered by shimmering strings, while tom-toms and timpani drive an extended series of variations. Oramo ensured the orchestra shone brightly, though the anticipated deluge of sound remained subtly restrained.
Yeol Eum Son's Poetic Performance
South Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son served as the soloist in Bartók's Third Piano Concerto, infusing the work with crisp clarity and poetic flourishes. She masterfully navigated the folk song-inflected melodies and lush romantic passages, showcasing both muscularity and sensitivity. In the slow movement, her expansive account highlighted Bachian undertones, filled with expressive insights and a tangible dialogue with the orchestra. The finale, with its piquant Hungarian rhythms, was a model of elegance and restraint.
Finzi's Eclogue: A Hidden Gem
Son's versatility as a musical omnivore was evident in her performance of Gerald Finzi's Eclogue. This jewel of a piece blurs boundaries between the Goldberg Variations' opening aria and Finzi's song settings of Thomas Hardy. Her lightness of touch and graceful counterpoint with the velvety strings of the BBC Symphony Orchestra created a truly scrumptious musical experience.
Stravinsky's Enchanted Finale
Sakari Oramo's conducting style, which avoids imposing his will and instead lets the composer speak through the notes, made him an ideal interpreter of Stravinsky's Firebird suite. In a colourful reading, tempi and dynamics felt perfectly balanced. Despite a few untidy orchestral moments, the enchanted Firebird pirouetted, princesses frolicked, and the villainous King Koschei's dissonant magic came to life. The encore, Stravinsky's tongue-in-cheek Gallop, provided a well-deserved conclusion to the evening.
This concert demonstrated the BBC Symphony Orchestra's ability to weave diverse natural and folk themes into a cohesive and enchanting musical journey, highlighting both historical works and contemporary compositions.
