Music
RSNO
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Keith Bruce
four stars
CELLIST Jan Vogler’s season as Artist in Residence with the RSNO began in unique style with a brace of duo concertos on which he was partnered by his wife, violinist Mira Wang. Written by two German composers about 130 years apart, they demonstrated two radically different approaches to the form. The UK premiere of Wolfgang Rihm’s Duo Concerto had the soloists continuing a virtuoso dialogue quite apart from the orchestra, who have their own colourful material to work with, particularly in the winds. Brahms also, of course, provides good stuff for the winds, but his score is more of a blend of chamber music and orchestral writing that delights in contrasts and juxtapositions.
When this concert is broadcast on Classic FM on Thursday, listen out for the short commission that was the world premiere of the programme, from young English composer Benjamin Rimmer. Pathway is an Eastern-flavoured evocation of a sun-dappled archway of saplings perhaps, and it was moved to the start of the second half to make a fine precursor for Peter Oundjian’s first Beethoven Six with the RSNO. He perhaps made use of some of the Roger Norrington period discipline of a fortnight ago in an account that placed great stress on the rhythmical pulses in the one Beethoven symphony we perhaps associate least with that – and not only in the obvious places like the third movement.
Here was more fine wind playing, notably from principal guest clarinet Maura Marinucci, and Ana Cordova’s double bass section was on fire during the fourth movement Storm, before the composer’s Shepherd’s Song finale abandons the programmatic in favour of a top tune. With the RSNO fielding its top team on the platform, this was a glorious account of one of the favourites of the classical repertoire.
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