Suganandarajah and Collins delight in Weber at Belfast’s Ulster Hall

Sometimes an overlooked composer on concert programmes brings an evening of sheer delight. Carl Maria von Weber may not be a name we see too often these days, but two of his most popular works shine a light on what he has to offer and bring some invigoration to an audience. And that’s exactly what the Ulster Orchestra and conductor Leslie Suganandarajah did on a dark January evening, with an entire first half dedicated to the German Romantic composer. 

Weber’s overture to his opera Oberon is full of theatre and drama. Suganandarajah paced it with insight into the structure and phrasing ensuring there was contrast, without repeating the same ideas, his phrasing nuanced but without being fussy. 

The performance of the evening came with Weber’s Clarinet Concerto no. 2 in E flat major — a popular enough work on disc, but a Cinderella in the concert hall. Michael Collins joined Suganandarajah for what was a thrilling rendition. As with the overture, Suganandarajah brought the same approach to the exposition of the opening Allegro. Collins' clarinet imitated the vocal acrobatics of a coloratura soprano throughout. As the first movement progressed, the detail of each of Collins’ phrases was remarkable and his clear passion and insight shone through.

The Romanza that follows saw a very different colour and mood from Collins as the music went from the vibrancy of E flat major to the melancholic G minor. In the softer darker passages, he brought an intensity, releasing the tensions in the louder episodes to great expressive effect. The jaunty Polacca which closes the concerto flew by in the blink of an eye, Collins persuasive and commanding, playing with assurance and freshness that made this work a refreshing alternative to the Mozart, Finzi and Copland we hear all too often.

The Belfast audience wouldn’t let Collins leave without an encore. In his address, Collins explained the concerto was written for Heinrich Baermann and it was from Baermann's Clarinet Quintet no. 3 that the hall was treated to a performance of the Adagio. What stood out here was Collins’ range of dynamics especially with the most delicate pianissimos.

After the interval came a complete change, with a world premiere from Belfast composer Simon Mawhinney. Entitled A Pillar of Light for Haydn, the Haydn in question is not the composer, but a young man — Haydn Robarts, who died in 2020, aged 19, from cancer. This 12-minute work starts intriguingly; flute motifs are characterful and pleasing in a Debussian language. As the work progresses, it begins to lose focus and direction. Despite the word ‘light’ being in the title, these moments are scarce in this predominantly dark piece. The work is a standalone piece, but takes its influence from the opening of Joseph Haydn’s Symphony no. 104, which followed without a break.

After the first movement of the London Symphony there was a mass exodus of players not involved, but who had played in the Mawhinney; this unfortunately disturbed the flow of what was a very stylish performance under Suganandarajah's direction. After the joyous and elegant finale, one was expecting to see Mahwhinney brought onto the stage, but for some reason he wasn’t able to acknowledge his applause.