Elena Schwarz’s rostrum debut with The Hallé saw the Swiss-Australian conductor lead a posed and graceful account of Schubert’s final symphony after a riot of colours in the first iteration of music by Unsuk Chin in her role this season as Hallé Featured Composer.
The evening began with Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, here given a muscular, punchy rendition full of salt and psychological torment. The finale in particular snarled with bitterness. The opening movement, by contrast, was as glassy and still as could be desired, and the pinged-out horn accents in the second were suitably bell-like.
Chin’s Le Silence des Sirènes, here receiving its UK premiere, was composed in 2014 for Barbara Hannigan. That it should have taken eleven years to reach the UK is remarkable, not least since reviews of the premiere were so enthusiastic. In taking inspiration from literary works evoking ships in rough seas, the 16-minute work was a shrewdly conceived first half bedfellow for the earlier Britten. The title is taken from Kafka’s short story of the same name, describing Ulysses’ confrontation of the sirens.
Unfortunately, the programme notes revealed little else about the music, in particular omitting any explanation of the soloist’s text, and there were no surtitles. Faustine de Monès nonetheless sang with totally compelling drama (and no little sprinkling of Hannigan-like verve). Her initial lines were delivered from the side of the Stalls, before ascending the stage and winding through the violin section. Her stage presence, amounting to a good deal of acting as well as singing, matched all the drama going on behind her in the huge percussion section, where seven players conjured all the requisite imagery of a foundering ship. The rest of the orchestra in turn navigated the challenges of Chin’s writing with panache. Even the usually conservative Mancunian audience were rapturous in their reception, boding well for this exciting collaboration.
The second half turned to more familiar fare in Schubert’s “Great” C major Symphony. Schwarz’s measured approach highlighted the elegance and grandeur of the music rather than prioritising the high-octane fireworks which characterise some performances of this work. With the first movement repeat omitted, the “heavenly length” of this huge symphony felt compact and focussed rather than its occasional tendency toward bloatedness. From the attractively songful opening horn call, this was music of utmost beauty, balancing rich woodwind character with unwavering textural clarity. The oboe and clarinet solos of the second movement were particularly memorable. The finale was relatively steady rather than airborne, but nonetheless proved a suitable close to a very satisfying performance.
