Arriving in Antwerp on their European tour, Mikko Franck and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France stayed firmly in the 19th century with a delectable programme of French music that was as exciting as it was rare. This may be seen as a farewell tour, since Franck will conclude his ten-year long tenure as Music Director next year. If this concert is in any way representative of their partnership, than it may be called a beautiful achievement.
With the overture to Hector Berlioz’ Béatrice et Bénédict, Franck immediately introduced us to the ravishing sonority and obvious commitment of his orchestra. With unhurried tempi and a fine-tuned orchestral balance he displayed all the subtleties of Berlioz’ orchestration. The opening bars could have benefited from a bit more French fougue, but this was more than compensated by the lyricism that we could hear in the Andante un poco sostenuto section, or by the humour that Franck emphasised in the strings interactions. Woodwinds and strings were competing in individuality and the superb brass took its moment in the spotlight during the typical Berlioz fanfares.
Sol Gabetta, who replaced the indisposed Hilary Hahn, gave a superb performance of Edouard Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D minor, a rather elusive work that needs a strong advocate to make the proper impact. With Gabetta and Franck it had two. Having performed together on several occasions in the past, the Argentinian cellist and Finnish conductor forged a strong partnership here, essential for this work where the soloist can often be overpowered by the orchestra. With looks and nods Gabetta frequently interacted with orchestra members and it seemed almost as if she and Franck were taking turns to lead the orchestra.
Gabetta’s tone radiates beauty and warmth. She effortlessly navigated the many mood swings in Lalo’s first movement, at times rhythmically incisive then again songlike. The dreamy quality of the central Intermezzo under her bow contrasted with the interjected Allegro presto passages which she peppered with playful inflections. The clarity of her articulation, matched by the carefully calibrated orchestral passages, invested the rondo in the final movement with a distinctive flair. Gabetta offered the funnily brilliant Flamenco by Rogelio Huguet y Tagell as an encore.
César Franck’s Symphony in D minor hasn’t been flooding our concert halls in recent years, yet Franck and the Philharmonique duly reminded us what a powerfully moving work this is with their magnificent reading. Stylistically, everything fell into place: with such transparent orchestral textures, formal clarity and generally swift tempi every hint of heaviness was avoided. It was clearly Sainte-Clotilde rather than Sankt-Florian that Mikko Franck had in mind. The big crescendi in the first movement had you on the edge of your seat, while his structural grasp gave meaning to the complex cyclic reprise of earlier themes. The Philar's qualities were all the more impressive. From the mysterious lower strings to the brass in all their polyphonic splendour, every orchestral section performed with utmost commitment. The dynamic range was superbly handled; Franck’s tutti can hit hard, but here they made perfect sense.
Taking the Allegretto for what it is, Franck moved forward at a brisk tempo, guiding us with a firm hand from darkness towards light in scintillating Scherzo passages. The final movement, bristling with energy, made the journey complete with a properly grand and questioning ending.
To cap this beautiful evening, Franck generously offered us a postcard from his Finnish homeland with the attractive Prelude in G flat major by Heino Kaski.
