Sometimes it is the least expected that impresses the most. I confess that the prospect of Weber’s First Clarinet Concerto – a work I had always regarded as second-rate – left me cold. But under Carlos Ferreira’s considerable charm, it became a revelation. Nor was I expecting Brahms Fourth Symphonhy to seethe with the passion and conviction that conductor Peter Whelan brought to the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland. This was, in every sense, a concert to cherish.
It opened with Brahms’ Variations on a theme of Haydn a work which has little or nothing to do with Haydn but showcases Brahms’ considerable talent as an orchestrator. Written before he had fully summoned the courage to embark on his first symphony, it is based on the popular tune of St Anthony’s Chorale. That chorale, almost unaltered, became stately under Whelan’s well delineated phrases.
Right from the outset, Whelan’s ability to shape and marshal an exciting range of dynamics was noteworthy. The sudden stabs of sound in Variation 2 were pleasantly shocking while the subito piano provided a satisfying contrast. When dealing with anything north of Vivace, Whelan treated the tempo as drivers do speed limits – a target to beat! Variation 5 flew by, the staccato fizzing with energy, but Whelan was happy to ease up on the accelerator and allow the music to breathe. The soft cooing of the cellos of Variation 7 was the breather we needed, the rising scales handled with tender lyricism.
The first true highlight of the concert came with Weber’s Clarinet Concerto no. 1 in F minor. Two things immediately impressed here: firstly, Ferreira’s liquid tone, golden in the upper registers and dark, mellow hues in the lower ones, his sound wove an enchanting spell. A striking example came in the first movement where a top C rang out triumphantly before ceding into a coaxing, intimate echo – the same note but worlds apart in character. Secondly, his dialogue with the orchestra was alive and moved with chamber-music nimbleness to which the NSOI responded with evident delight.
Ferreira showed his poetic side with exquisitely long-breathed lines in the second movement. The way he let the final phrases dissolve was nothing short of magical. Whelan immediately brought a buoyant lift to the third movement to which Ferreira responded in kind, dispatching the ornamental runs with elegance and ease.
A second highlight – this was a special concert – was Brahms’ Fourth (and final) Symphony. Monumental and often weighty in less imaginative hands, it can all too easily become bogged down in its own density, with lines turning turgid. Whelan’s interpretation was nothing short of a revelation; passionate, muscular, he took the work by the lapels and made it speak with conviction. The string declamation of the opening movement was thrilling, every member playing their heart out. Whelan proved adept at allowing the complex layers to emerge clearly; the interwoven melody of horns and cellos was done with unaccustomed clarity, while the introspective horn of the second movement was tinged with sadness.
Tempi throughout were lithe and none more so than in the Scherzo which Whelan unleashed with gusto. Joyful and brimming with good humour, the enjoyment of orchestra and conductor was palpable. His ability to pivot mood was striking; the low gravelly F major sustained chord gave way instantly to insouciant plucking. The funereal opening blast of the final movement landed like a cold shower and the tremolando strings at the close were electrifying, bringing both symphony and concert to a sensational end.
