The Till of Till Eulenspeigel (1895) was a legendary prankster in the Middle Ages with an inclination to mockery, including of religion. That eventually saw him hanged, but not before an eventful career had run its riotous course, as depicted in Richard Strauss’s dazzling and colourful score. The London Symphony Orchestra relished the demands the composer presents to every section – this is a concerto for orchestra in all but name, such are the opportunities for display. The horn solo at the start and the high clarinet motif were expressive of the appeal and insouciance of Till’s character. Strauss had thought first of writing an opera about Till, and LSO Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano here was as much the opera conductor as the symphonic director, bringing out dramatic colour at every turn, right up to the moment of Till’s execution. But even after that we hear his mocking laugh again at the end – this irreverent subversive spirit lives on.
Squeezing Mozart’s Violin Concerto no. 5 in A major between two major Strauss symphonic poems did not quite work, even with violinist Lisa Batiashvili, no less. She is a fabulous fiddler as the world knows, so played immaculately, but somehow never quite persuaded us that this was her work, or even that this was her composer. Her three-concert residency has included much-admired accounts of Schnittke and Szymanowski, repertoire she undoubtedly owns. Perhaps we are all now so used to works of the early classical era being given on period instruments, and using historically informed performance practices, that even Pappano and the LSO players could not bring the music alive in quite the same way. Batiashvili’s cadenzas in the first two movements took us far from Mozart’s world, and were long enough to have Pappano appearing unsure when the cadential trill was coming.
From the genuine mockery of Till to the mock-heroic Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life) is not such a leap. Strauss himself is the hero portrayed in this six-section continuously played work – the Hero’s Works of Peace are quotations from his own works. Like Till, Heldenleben is a drama, announced by the thrilling sound of eight horns and the cellos in heroic vein. Later, summoned by three offstage trumpets, our Hero battles his critics, with calls to arms from brass fanfares and the insistent rattle of the side drum. This busily contrapuntal conflict was played with discipline and precision by the LSO, but also plenty of dashing bellicose élan. But the highlight was not found in all this terrific orchestral spectacle, but rather in the long, swiftly changing violin solo of section three (The Hero’s Companion) , a ludic portrait of Strauss’ wife, alluring, coquettish, audibly chuckling at some moments. It was played by Roman Simovic, a distinguished LSO Leader since his arrival in 2010, who drew beguiling sounds from his Stradivarius in the most characterful playing of the evening. Pappano immediately gave Simovic the first solo call at the end, to enthusiastic cheers.
