A Prom of two halves: Mark Wigglesworth and the Bournemouth SO

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Prom, with their new Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth, was a concert of two halves in more ways than one. The first half was very much jazz-influenced with works by Shostakovich and Ravel, in the second half, Walton’s distinctive First Symphony.

Wigglesworth’s way with Shostakovich’s Suite for Variety Orchestra was full of life and energy. The opening March brimmed with jollity and the echoes of fairground organs and marching bands, with a prominent glockenspiel line. The Lyrical Waltz brought a complete change of colour and mood with some sultry accordion playing from Ryan Corbett. Dance 1 had transparent textures while Waltz 1 was graceful; Dance 2 almost conjured a hornpipe. Waltz 2, the most famous movement, opened gently, growing to something grander, but with a sinister air. Little Polka was nicely executed and the final movement had a strong rhythmic emphasis to bring the suite to an uplifting conclusion.

Making his Proms debut was pianist Nicholas McCarthy in Ravel’s Piano Concerto in D major for the left hand. McCarthy is one of only two one-handed pianists to perform the work at the Proms – the other being the work’s dedicatee, Paul Wittgenstein. In the orchestral opening there was a rumbling from the double basses leading to a strong contrabassoon solo from Kim Murphy. There was a measured climb to McCarthy’s first entry in which he echoed the orchestral exposition in an equally expressive way. Continuing in a similar vein, the second solo episode was thoughtful and reflective. As the work progressed it became apparent this was not the most sprightly of performances, McCarthy seeming to want to drive things just a little faster than Wigglesworth permitted. The substantial cadenza is where McCarthy especially shone, holding the audience in the palm of his hand. The Prommers were not going to release McCarthy without an encore and Scriabin’s Op.9 Nocturne followed, a thoughtful and poetic rendition full of rich late Romantic harmony, but played with effective simplicity.

Walton’s First Symphony is arguably his finest work. In Wigglesworth’s hands the emphasis was on expression rather than speed. A shaky start with some blemished horns was soon balanced by exemplary woodwind playing. As the movement peaked, there was a long crawl to the summit, Wigglesworth not fully realising the Allegro assai marking, underplaying the chilling, dramatic climax. The Scherzo-like second movement was handled confidently and the rhythmic accents were strong, although this movement was also restrained, the malice of the Presto, con malizia mostly absent. 

A melancholic coolness was certainly present in the third movement Andante, with an effective, Shostakovich-like iciness. The Maestoso finale was a little underpowered. Lacking the impetus to push it through to the end made the final chords sound laboured, so that some audience members applauded prematurely.