Thomas Adès resumed his role as Artist in Residence with the Hallé with an intriguing programme of five pieces with links to Sibelius. The concert began and ended with symphonies by the Finnish master. In between they performed a piece by Einojuhani Rautavaara, whose career Sibelius promoted, and two works by Adès himself, one of them being subtitled Homage to Sibelius.
American violinist Stephen Waarts joined a small Hallé string section plus woodwind and horns for Rautavaara’s Deux Sérénades. This was the composer’s last work; the second serenade was not quite finished when the composer died in 2016 and was completed by his student Kalevi Aho. In the first serenade (serenade pour mon amour) accompanied by strings alone, Waarts produced some magical long melodic lines, sweet and lyrical. The second serenade, serenade pour la vie, was occasionally a little more agitated but on the whole retained the reflective mood of the first.
Waarts returned to the stage after the interval for Thomas Adès’ own Air – Homage to Sibelius. The title can be taken to refer to both the air we breathe and a song or aria. The orchestra was only a little larger than that for the Rautavaara – harp, piano and percussion as well as strings, woodwind and horns. Waarts dominated proceedings with long, high-pitched notes and slow themes with which the piece started and to which it returned. Along the way there were some increases in intensity and some delightful sounds including bell-like percussion that complemented the solo violin. The duetting of Waarts with the harp (Marie Leenhardt) was magical. It was a serene, mesmerising piece and deeply satisfying.
Neither of the pieces for violin and orchestra was showy in the manner of a traditional concerto but Waarts was a fine advocate for two understated but beautiful pieces. I hope to hear both of them again and that they will become regular visitors to our concert halls.
I was less convinced by the other piece by Adès on the programme. Aquifer was first performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle earlier this year in Munich and has already had several outings. The title refers to a layer of underground rock that can hold water and allow water to percolate through it; Adès translates this concept into musical terms using a huge orchestra including six percussionists, often playing in their lowest registers. The seven connected sections depict water in different situations, flowing gently, surging or bursting out explosively. While some parts were engaging, especially the quieter sections, often if felt as if the orchestra was just being noisy. Perhaps a further hearing will lead to deeper understanding.
The concert began with a fine performance of Sibelius’ Symphony no 7, his astonishingly concentrated last symphony that was first performed a hundred years ago. Adès’ love for the work shone through as he shed light on details and shaped the subtly changing light and shade. Principal trombonist Katy Jones was singled out for her crucial role in this powerful work. Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony, which ended the concert, received no less affection. The ebb and flow of the first movement was handled superbly; when it dwindled to almost nothing and then built up again I wondered if this was an inspiration for Adès’ Air. There were some lighter elements in the second movement but with darker undercurrents. The Hallé glowed in the finale’s “swan hymn” and we were led inexorably to the magnificent final chords.
