Despite his enduring popularity, would an all-Elgar programme, with only one work not purely orchestral, be a bridge too far? Well, Edward Gardner is currently the safest yet most exciting pair of hands for Elgar, and he has certainly helped the London Philharmonic Orchestra raise their game further since he joined them as Principal Conductor four years ago. Add to the mix mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor for Sea Pictures, and the makings of a highly memorable evening were all in place.
They started as they meant to go on, with a joyous rendition of In the South (Alassio), full of lush energy from the off, with bright horns and nimble strings, along with mellow sliding woodwind lines. The first of Principal Viola Benjamin Roskams’ solos of the evening was delicately sweet, Gardner’s expressive shaping of the orchestral dynamics to accommodate this seeming effortless. Ensemble was tight within the busy material, before the glockenspiel rang out leading into a glorious finish, their collective energy ending this overture like a concert finale rather than a routine opener.
Then came Sea Pictures, with Taylor appearing immediately authoritative and stately in glistening silvery grey, her rich dark mezzo tones captivating, with every word audible and expressively delivered, even at the lowest end of her range. Of course, Gardner paid constant attention to the orchestral dynamics, keeping them at bay so that Taylor could add maximum pianissimo expression to words like “murmur” in Sea Slumber Song. In Haven (Capri) opened with delicate, precise pizzicato, and Taylor’s long sustained notes at the end of each verse were effortlessly controlled. Sabbath Morning at Sea raised the energy levels, Taylor blossoming at the higher end, although the final verse was the first time that she was in danger of being swamped by Elgar’s heavier orchestral textures. The strings gave Where Corals Lie a gently bouncing introduction, with deep expression from Taylor, followed by her most passionate fervour in The Swimmer, using almost speech tones at times to spit out the stormy text. A superlative performance – surely a recording with this team should follow?
Sospiri is the perfect foil to any Pomp & Circumstance pigeon-holing for the composer, its yearning yet contained emotion one of his most tender expressions. Gardner and the LPO strings with harp kept things understated here, with beautifully controlled tremolo pulsing from the second violins and violas underneath the sadness of the first violins and cellos’ lyrical line, and as a result, it had all the more emotional impact.
Even the best can fall into the trap of a workaday Enigma Variations, given its frequency on the concert programme, but Gardner and the LPO gave us a reading full of energy and freshness. The big moments were there, but Gardner always kept things moving along, avoiding any wallowing. So Nimrod had a slow burn, but steady pace and although the climax had its full impact, he made sure it fell away as quickly as Elgar demands. Elsewhere, R.B.T. was very quick, with fluid bassoons and playful interjections from all concerned, then W.M.B. took a lively thrashing, with the richest string sound of the evening so far arriving for R.P.A. Roskam starred again with beautifully warm viola solos in Ysobel, and then Dorabella, joined by feathery strings and buzzy bassoons. The distant timpani in ‘***’ (after Lady Mary Lygon, on a sea voyage to Australia), were given a coarse edge, adding to dark oceanic mystery, and E.D.U. had impatient drive and fervent surges, the patient organ adding to a fantastic finish.
