THIS morning’s papers advertised for trips to far-off shores and the postman delivered a brochure urging us to cruise exotic parts.
ŠThe day’s most exotic offer was a trip through dark, wet Liverpool streets to the sunnier climes of the Philharmonic where the RLPO under Jun Märkl – making his Phil début Š– provided a picture postcard tour of Europe.
The first half offered two contrasting Mendelssohn works: the Hebrides Overture and the “Italian” Symphony.
To hear the Overture twice in a week under different conductors was something of a revelation. Mendelssohn is one of those “tidy” composers where few phrases are used unnecessarily perhaps, therefore making interpretation even more important.
Märkl conducted a stately performance which was always precise, even when pulling the tempi round, emphasising this, scurrying over that. The contrast with dour Scottish scenery could not have been greater when the Fourth Symphony burst forth into exuberant life.
This “Italian” was in danger of suffering heat exhaustion. There was a lively, bright, surging first movement which exuded energy from start to finish while the andante con moto second movement sang out in a serene manner.
There was a pause for breath in the third movement, with a particularly striking trio, before the breathless energy returned for the finale.
Schumann has often attracted criticism for his opaque orchestration with the more cruel commentators suggesting he could not master the technique at all.
While that is debatable, the master of song certainly knew how to make the orchestra sing, something seized on by Märkl in this performance.
While the opening could have toned down – it was fortissimo all the way – the chattering scherzo put matters right, despite some strange moments for the horns.
A shapely third movement led into that most beautiful depiction of Cologne Cathedral in the fourth, a deliciously ornamented chorale highly reminiscent of Bach.
But the peace was brief as the audience hurtled into the energy-packed finale.
GLYN MON HUGHES
