Completed in 1943, Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra is a thrilling piece full of contrasting moods and emotions. But performing it is a big undertaking for any orchestra. We talk to Oli Janes, clarinettist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, about the pleasures and challenges of playing Bartók.
Can you introduce yourself, and talk about your current musical role and responsibilities?
I’m Oli Janes and I am the Section Leader Clarinet with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. My role within the clarinet and woodwinds sections is to try and play my part as best as I can, whilst making sure that as a section we are playing with the rest of the orchestra, in the same style, with the same articulation and phrasing. It’s quite a challenge having your ears out in the audience, so to speak, whilst trying to play all the right notes!
I do believe, though, that my role is one of the best in an orchestra, as I get to sit right in the middle of the action, surrounded by so much amazing and inspiring music.
Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra was one of the composer’s last works, but its popularity has been lasting since its premiere in 1944. Can you give a short introduction to this famous piece?
Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra is truly one of the masterpieces of the 20th century. Written in five movements, it creates and conjures up so many different sound worlds and demonstrates what an orchestra can do.
The first movement sort of sets the scene, building from a quiet start and introducing material that will be used throughout the piece. The second movement is called ‘Game of Pairs’, in which pairs of wind and brass instruments play duets. The third movement uses themes from the first movement and has a mysterious atmosphere with rippling woodwinds. The fourth movement is more flowing, with a dance-like melody before the clarinet quotes The Merry Widow and a moment of chaos ensues! Then the final movement is a virtuoso showpiece for everyone.
Bartók’s writing is virtuosic for virtually everyone in the orchestra, but can you talk a bit about the clarinet writing specifically? What challenges does he set in this piece?
Bartok writes brilliantly for the clarinet in all of his music and he really knows how to use the clarinets sound to create the sound world he wants. In the third movement for example, he writes very fast, quiet arpeggios that go back and forth between the clarinet and flute and it makes a really mysterious atmosphere.
Also, in the first movement, he writes a dance-like theme for two clarinets. It lends itself beautifully to the mellow clarinet sound. The whole piece is really challenging to play, as it encompasses almost every aspect of the instrument, from the quietest murmurings to the fireworks of the last movement.
Can you talk a bit about how the clarinets and the woodwinds work together as a section a complex work like this one? How do you work with colleagues in other parts of the orchestra?
The piece can be very tricky for ensemble and playing together across the orchestra, and it takes a lot of communication with other sections to make sure it’s sounding together for everyone. The second movement highlights this as it starts with a snare drum, followed by duets from the winds and brass, accompanied by the strings. On some stages there could be 10 to 20 metres from the front to the back and the sides, so that can be a challenge to make sure it’s together. Also, with a piece as characterful as this, there are usually discussions around articulation, to make sure we are all aiming for the same note lengths and phrasing.
What impression did the work make on you when you first heard it?
I first went to hear the piece in a concert in Manchester, and I remember being completely blown away at the end. The whole piece is around 35 minutes long and it’s such a rollercoaster of emotions. As the finale progresses you can’t help but get swept along with the excitement that builds all the way to the explosive ending!
Do you have a personal favourite passage in the piece?
I definitely have a least favourite passage to play! That would be the quote of the Merry Widow in the fourth movement – it’s a nice jaunty melody on top of a sort of ‘um-cha-cha’ in the strings. The music gets faster and there’s a few ornaments in the clarinet line, and it’s really, really awkward! But my favourite passage is definitely the first minute or so of the last movement. It’s so much fun to play and to listen to and there’s so much going on!
Is there a recording or a memory of a performance that is particularly special to you?
I remember playing the piece when I was on trial for my job with the CBSO. It was conducted by Edward Gardner and in the first half of the concert the piece was dissected and we had to play certain excerpts from the piece. In the second movement, for all the duets, we had to go to the front of the stage and play them from there. Now if that wasn’t stressful enough, there’s only a few bars rest between each duet and with the next pair of instruments incoming we had to leave the right page of music on the stand for them otherwise you’d have ended up with the flutes playing the oboe duet. Luckily it all went smoothly but I’ll always remember it!
What guidance would you give to listeners and performers new to Bartók’s music?
Bartok’s music is incredibly descriptive and powerful but there’s often lots of different intricate elements going on, so I suppose listen out for every little detail – everyone is a sort of cog in the big machine to make the piece work. He writes so much folk-inspired music that’s you just have to have fun and enjoy it!
Why should one come to hear a performance of Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra?
There’s nothing like seeing a performance of this piece live. Watching everyone play, all the little details all over the orchestra, and the sheer power of 90 musicians playing their hearts out. It is what it says on the tin: a Concerto for the Orchestra.
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra perform Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra on 9th April at Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
See upcoming performances by the CBSO.
This article was sponsored by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
