The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela is one of three orchestral residencies at this year's Edinburgh International Festival. Players performed in two signature concerts, but have also explored the city, its ensembles lighting up smaller venues with Latin American music and brass players joining a community care van in Leith. All the musicians are the product of the El Sistema programme in Venezuela, chiming perfectly with Festival director Nicola Benedetti’s theme of social inclusion. Still etched in the memory, the youth orchestra and Gustavo Dudamel kicked off the London 2012 Festival programme with a concert in a field near Stirling where Scotland’s first Big Noise players were touchingly awarded medals from their Venezuelan cousins. Benedetti – and Bachtrack – were there; the rain absolutely poured down, but it was a pivotal event and Sistema Scotland now has five Big Noise projects across the country.
Tonight’s programme began with two pieces celebrating the orchestra’s Venezuelan homeland. Guasamacabre was composer Paul Desenne's reaction to difficulties in his country and is dedicated to all Venezuelan children and youths struggling today. “Guasa” is playful nonsense banter, here in a tricky 5/8 merengue given a sombre twist like a lively nursery rhyme with a hidden sinister message. Jumpy violins with brass interjections launched a controlled cacophony, the percussionists using everything in their box as Dudamel brought a performance of verve and vibrancy to this complicated, restless work.
In his Odisea – Concerto for Cuatro and Orchestra, Gonzalo Grau imagines a travelogue across Venezuela, a country where short distances can unearth different cultural discoveries. Latin Grammy winner Jorge Glem, in his trademark bright red troubadour hat, was the soloist for this European premiere, brandishing his cuatro – a small four string traditional Venezuelan guitar. An ocean drum set the scene, the orchestra introducing a propelling beat as the journey moved inland with lively colours and catchy rhythms, each section getting their spot to shine as the music reached the next destination, the cuatro joining in each fresh encounter on the odyssey.
All eyes were on Glem who gave an astonishing performance of technical brilliance ranging from lyrical to high energy percussive, at one point using his fingerpads to generate harmonics while simultaneously strumming a driving beat. The cadenza was an exciting whirl of fingers, creating a heady mix of intense rhythm, flourishes and percussive wooden knocks. The players picked up the excitement with fat brass city sounds injecting a Latin jazzy exuberance. A crowd-pleaser of a work, here in the presence of the composer, Glem finished with an improvised encore of a spot-the-tune musical journey.
A huge orchestra gave a tremendous account of Mahler’s First Symphony, Dudamel keeping a tight rein on the players, conducting without a score. The Venezuelans brought an interesting sound quality and balance, woodwinds emerging from the initial calm very boldly, Dudamel carefully shaping the strings and offstage trumpets building the movement to a joyous climax. A powerful Ländler was delivered with judicious rubato and grit, cellos and basses digging deep, horns playing bells up. The Frère Jacques funeral music blended with punchy klezmer, woodwinds dancing playfully. Keeping his powder dry to the very end, Dudamel let his players go with blazing horns, double timpani and vibrant strings in a spectacular finish.
The Usher Hall audience was on its feet as the players and conductor whipped out their brightly ribboned El Sistema medals for a crazy Latin mash up of the Tritsch-Tratsch Polka followed by the exuberant Mambo for which the orchestra is famous. This was an emotionally charged evening with Dudamel, conducting the orchestra for the first time since 2017, giving Edinburgh a night to remember.
