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The free, comprehensive program had the added bonus of an illuminating talk by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Alastair McKean who confirmed that the 2500 strong audience would be in the presence of music royalty in more ways than one: Sir Andrew Davis conducting the music of Lord Edgar Elgar with Grammy Award-winning guest pianist Yefim Bronfman.
Bronfman opened the concert with Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Op.83 and if you were expecting the Brahms music renowned for concentration and study, this wasn’t it. Yet those elements were clearly there in the gentle, relaxing melody which would rise to a tumultuous crescendo involving flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, strings and briefly trumpets and timpani.
This symphony had everything that Brahms music is been famous for and Bronfman delivered it with a concentration and immersion that shook his whole body and left him wiping his brow.
With the look and build of French actor Gerard Depardieu, the light touch of his hands on the keys belied his size. They would effortlessly trill up and down the octaves becoming more and more emphatic and commanding to end with a flourish of arms and a slight leap from the seat. So skilled is the MSO that the transition then, from piano to full orchestra, appeared seamless and continued as an effortless wave of exquisite sound through all four movements. Credit must go to the absolute cohesion of the ten cellos and twelve violins.
The beauty of this piece of music, is the surprise element that lulls you. The delicate, sensual notes, not only from the piano but also from a soulful solo cello, transport you into a fiery scherzo passage leaving the audience catching its breath.
A magnificent performance with a generous, complimentary embrace from the maestro for his conductor and the MSO’s lead cellist.
The second half of the program was Elgar’s Symphony No. 1 in A flat Op.55 and a fitting choice to accompany the Brahms because, in many ways, it has similar components, retaining the cellos and violins but, with no guest musician, allowing the trombones, harps, oboes and bassoons to shine.
Like Brahms, Elgar had a holiday in Italy before writing the symphony. While this didn’t have a direct influence on the theme of his music, it seemed to leave him in a relaxed, joyful mood which is evident in the way the music flows. A gentle reflective opening eventually gives rise to rampant excitement, crescendos of sound followed again by delicate ripples of music gems. The strings had a chance to demonstrate enthusiastic pizzicato while drums and horns could excel in full flight and, no getting away from it, there was march music relevant to the ‘pomp and circumstance’ which will be forever associated with the annual English prom concerts.
The fact that this Elgar symphony is purported to be one of Sir Andrew Davis’ favourites was obvious from the way he almost danced off the podium. I was glad he held no baton as I’m sure it would have been broken. His joy in the piece was palpable and his communication with the musicians a symphony in itself. But, as the orchestra stood to a roar of appreciative applause there was an added bonus, which Sir Andrew called “The Last Hurrah,” in a moving speech of appreciation to Wilma Smith, the MSO’s Concert Master for twelve years, for her last performance. Another tribute targeting memories over those years came from the Chairman of the MSO Board, Harry Mitchell followed by flowers, streamers, flashing lights and a rousing encore from the overture to Die Fledermaus.
While the cheers and appreciation were deafening, it would be good to see Australian audiences match the enthusiasm of the Brits by leaping to their feet over a performance as spectacular as this one. Perhaps the subsidised tickets for full time secondary and tertiary students will help bring about a loss of inhibitions.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Yefim Bronfman plays Brahms
Hamer Hall
November22, 2014
