Despite the dire weather warnings that may have discouraged some from venturing out, those who braved the elements were rewarded with a concert of warm, exhilarating music-making. Marking the final moments of the bicentenary of Bruckner’s birth, this concert offered a last chance to experience his most popular symphony. Inevitably the challenge of pairing his sprawling symphonies with something more compact is a familiar one, yet in Mozart's Violin Concerto no. 5 in A major, the programme struck a satisfying balance both musically and stylistically.
Penned by the youthful Mozart while still a teenager, his fifth and final concerto for the violin is as accomplished as it is intriguing. The opening for the soloist is an extraordinary, peaceful Adagio melody, coming as it does after the usual busy orchestral introduction. Here, American violinist Stefan Jackiw impressed and surprised in equal measure: firstly, his use of open strings was very daring as was his absence of vibrato. However, he shaped the raw purity of this melody with exquisite lyricism. In an instant, this stillness was broken and he was bounding through the lively semiquavers with great nimbleness and soaring up to the longer, higher notes.
The reduced forces of the National Symphony Orchestra allowed for a chamber-like responsiveness, with the players responding naturally to Jackiw’s interpretation. In the Adagio, a deep and engaging dialogue unfolded between the strings and soloist, the latter employing a slow, deliberate vibrato. For Jackiw, vibrato was not the default position as it is for most violinists but a considered artistic choice. The finale, full of light-hearted energy, saw both soloist and orchestra revelling in the abrupt changes of tempo and key. Jackiw's rendition of Bach’s Largo from his Violin Sonata in C major as an encore was a study in grace and delicacy.
Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony stands as a testament to the newfound confidence the composer felt within himself, a quality that resonated in the success of the work. Under the baton of Hans Graf, this performance was both tender and majestic, gentle yet powerful. The opening hushed cellos allowed the innocent violin melody to waft above it. Throughout, the brass section was impressive, shifting between a heroic, full-bodied sound and moments of threatening menace. Graf expertly guided the strings through their effusive outpourings, always mindful of the symphony’s architectural dynamics. There was a meltingly tender return to E major in the third section and at the end of the movement Graf elicited a breathtaking crescendo that seemed to rise endlessly.
The second movement Adagio is Bruckner’s moving and intimate homage to Wagner. Here the luxuriant melody for the violins was lush, the musicians wallowing in the Romantic strains. There was dark menace from the tuba with its low, gravelly line while the brass rang out intensely. Graf, with an ever-present sense of the movement’s overarching purpose, imbued the latter part with a sense of mystery, creating a palpable air of suspense.
The Scherzo was captivating; braying trumpet, cheeky violins and rasping tubas made it bristle with nervous energy. Graf masterfully kept a lid on this bubbling concoction with its malicious chromatic scales until finally the brass blazed forth. Keeping the start of the finale elusive, the NSO kept the audience in suspense, hovering in one key before diving off into another altogether. The hot, intense tremolos on the violins accompanied by soaring brass brought this work to an exhilarating and triumphant conclusion.
