Sydney Symphony Orchestra | Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony
2 August 2024, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
Program:
LIZA LIM Salutation to the Shells (50 Fanfares Commission)
PROKOFIEV Sinfonia Concertante
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.4
Artists:
PIETARI INKINEN conductor
ALBAN GERHARDT cello
Liza Lim, who is a previous composer-in-residence with the SSO, returned with this world premiere performance of her Salutation to the Shells. This work draws attention to the early settler’s harvesting for building materials of the immense shell-middens found on the shores of Sydney Harbour; thus destroying these important First Nations cultural monuments. So it is tempting to look for programmatic elements in the work. A clearly defined C major starts with horn and cello seeming to establish the natural order of the landscape in its pre-European settlement condition. Despite the piece being billed as a “fanfare” and being scored for a huge orchestra, the brass does not really predominate. There is ever increasing disruption, but it seems to emanate mainly from the strings. The final section is a little like the opening of Das Rheinegold with a primordial emergence of Mother Earth from the depths, but Lim leaves us merely with the strings buzzing like insects, as if there is only void; the sense of a culture decimated.
The composition of Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante grew out of earlier iterations as Cello Concertos 1 and 2, first performed in 1938 and 1952 respectively. The latter was performed by the young Mstislav Rostropovich who became a close friend and staunch defender of Prokofiev against the denouncements and public humiliations imposed by the Stalin regime. Rostropovich helped him in his reworking to produce the Sinfonia Concertante in 1953. Prokofiev died that same year, ironically on the same day as Stalin. He did not hear his work performed; Rostropovich premiered it in 1954. While it has some of the transparent textures characteristic of his astringent neo-classical works, the composition is surprisingly romantic. It is scored for a large orchestra and Alban Gerhardt on the cello navigated the fiendish furious passages with seeming ease. The lyrical sections were full of warmth. His cello does not have a huge sound, but it projected well over the orchestra, and gave a sense of subtlety rather than force.
Appropriately, Gerhardt played a solo encore by Rostropovich, whom he clearly admired immensely.
The headline piece of the concert, perhaps the most well-loved work of Tchaikovsky, was his Symphony No.4 in F minor, Op 36. Like Beethoven’s 5th, it starts with a strong statement associated with fate. However fate for Beethoven was a statement of confidence, while for Tchaikovsky it is an imposed and inescapable imperative to which he is subject and, due to the complexities of his personal life, the cause of unhappiness. While the beautifully expressed sadness is clear in the outer movements, it is not all gloom and there are moments of joy, particularly in the middle movements. The return of the “fate” theme in the last movement leaves little doubt however of its inescapability.
The orchestra was clearly at home with this work, which they played with tremendous commitment. The style of the young Finnish conductor, Pietari Inkinen, was interesting. Unlike the sleeves-rolled-up style of Simone Young, he was mostly very restrained, leaving the cues and nuances of the phrasing to the players, who were well up to the task. This delicate approach yielded rather clearer textures, exposing many nuances in the orchestration not evident in other performances. His animation was reserved for the big tutti, particularly at the end of the first movement and the thrilling end of the last movement.
This well-considered program presented works of contrasting styles, and created a satisfying event for experienced concert goers. However the people sitting next to us did not return after interval and it could be that the first half was somewhat demanding for those new to concert going. It is likely, were they to have stayed, they would have enjoyed the more accessible Tchaikovsky work. Of course it is important to program more demanding music, but it does present a problem; how to ease prospective new audiences in, and educate them without confronting them or making them feel inadequate. Starting with the Tchaikovsky would probably have caused our neighbours to stay, but then they may have left unsatisfied. A conundrum indeed. Perhaps the educative approach taken by David Robertson, who conducted the SSO between 2005 and 2018, is the way to go. He often spoke to audiences before difficult music, explaining what to listen for and had the orchestra play relevant examples.
As ever, the SSO gave of their best and it was wonderful to see such excellence on display.
