The Tonkünstler-Orchester visited Cadogan Hall as part of the Zurich International Orchestra Series for an evening of C major. Well okay, Brahms’ First Symphony is in C minor, but we know how it ends. But conductor Yutaka Sado (in his final season as Music Director) gave us a programme which, while certainly a crowd-pleaser, was nevertheless a treat. Sibelius’ single movement final Seventh Symphony and the Brahms bookended Mozart’s well-known Piano Concerto no. 21. They gave a largely first-class performance, their Brahms bringing the house down.
From the lumbering opening scale of Sibelius’ Seventh, Sado set the scene with a steady crescendo, bright woodwinds contrasting the rich string sound that quickly enveloped them. The relatively flat staging meant that the strings were dominant, with woodwinds occasionally struggling to break through, which was a shame as, when audible, articulation was playful and precise. The brass penetrated with relative ease, with a bright, unified sound. Against a final thick C major chord from brass and woodwinds, Sibelius turns the screw; with a searing D and then an even more dissonant B natural from the strings right at the end, Sado extracted maximum angst from the searing strings.
South Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son’s Mozart was full of delicacy and elegance and, with a change of flutes, natural horns and fewer strings, the orchestra produced a light sound for the opening, matched by her gracefully fluid entry. The tempo was steady in this unfussy performance, and even the cadenza had subtlety, but for its closing flourish. The slow movement was gentle, and Eum Son gave the familiar melodic line an easy simplicity, Sado ensuring the violins, and later, oboe and flute, matched her articulation when they doubled. The finale was full of playful energy, with smiles from members of the orchestra as they exchanged solo moments. Her encore couldn’t have been more of a contrast, with Moszkowski’s Étincelles being dashed off with skittish virtuosity.
Is it fair to assume that Brahms’ First Symphony is in the blood of an Austrian orchestra? In a performance of effortless familiarity, Sado made sure that it never felt workaday. Aside from a momentary woodwind tuning issue in the opening, ensemble was strong throughout, and the balance issues from the Sibelius seemed to be resolved here. The Allegro had drama and drive, and the second movement was serene, with soft strings and gorgeous horn playing. Leader Jacob Meining delivered a delightful solo, also providing sweet decoration against the horn solo. The onset of final woodwind chords, both in this and the opening movement, lacked precision, however.
Sado gave the third movement a steady flow and kept the strings down to allow the woodwinds through. In the finale, the horn solo over shimmering strings was simply glorious, immediately matched with bright intensity by the flute, and the brass chorale was suitably lush. The big tune, when it arrived, had a sense of reverence, of unison singing. The fugal sections that followed were tight and edgy, and from then on, it was all about the build to that final climax. There was no holding back here, the final brass fanfare over emphatic string chords bringing a powerful performance to an end. As an additional treat, they romped through a joyous rendition of Brahms’ Hungarian Dance no. 5 in G minor, Sado milking the rhythms for all their worth.
