This National Symphony Orchestra concert in Dublin was a masterclass in orchestral storytelling, brimming with dynamic contrasts and thrilling performances. From the hauntingly atmospheric sounds of a freshly composed work to the blazing virtuosity of the soloist and the galvanising presence of the conductor, every element aligned to create a memorable and exhilarating experience. The audience responded with enthusiasm, rewarding the musicians and composer with repeated standing ovations throughout the night.
The programme opened with a compelling new composition, Everything was asleep as if the universe was a vast mistake by Judith Ring, a piece which takes us to a post-apocalyptic world where nature quietly reclaims the earth in the aftermath of mankind’s extinction. Composed in 2022, Ring’s work begins with ominous sliding chromatic strings, establishing a dark and brooding atmosphere. The music then shifts between harsh, stabbing motifs and a more fluid, minor tonality, giving it a cinematic quality. The brass sections add to the tension with their sliding harmonies before giving way to the stirring, primal rhythms of the strings, reminiscent of The Rite of Spring. Yet, nature soon asserts itself, with delicate birdcalls in the woodwinds and the soothing patter of rain, moments that were tenderly drawn out by conductor Patrik Ringborg. As the piece swelled into a major tonality, a sense of hope and renewal emerged, elevating the work from dystopian bleakness to a more optimistic vision.
Dvořák’s Cello concerto in B minor is a stylish, Romantic work and in the hands of the vivacious Camille Thomas it was an immediate success. Opening with a megawatt vibrato, Thomas gave an intensely passionate declaration of the two main themes. The development section allowed her to show another side; the hushed phrases were breathless with anticipation. Thomas imbued her second movement with an elegiac poignancy unfurling her gossamer thread of melody with extraordinary delicacy. The NSO supported Thomas, listening, interjecting and cajoling with woodwind motifs. The charm of the coda was swiftly replaced by an energetic and impassioned finale, in which Thomas displayed her virtuosity with dazzling chromatic runs and soaring ascents to the uppermost reaches of the cello’s range. For an encore, Thomas treated the crowd to Pablo Casals’ Song of the Birds, an utterly captivating performance that shimmered with a quiet, suspended beauty.
Authoritative and masterful, Ringborg swept us along on the emotional journey that is Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 5 in E minor. The opening was dark and meditative, its melancholic mood contrasting with the more playful, almost mischievous second theme. Ringborg’s careful attention to the dynamics drew a rich, expressive performance from the NSO, allowing the brass and strings to shimmer and then roar with intensity. The second movement contains the glorious horn solo which was beautifully shaped before the cellos reiterated it with deep expressiveness. Ringborg whipped up the full forces of the orchestra to unleash the sonic boom of the ffff which Tchaikovsky notates in the score. Mercurial and graceful, the third movement was charmingly done while Ringborg and the NSO delivered a thrilling finale with incandescent tremolos, blazing brass and scurrying strings.
