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To
those who missed this concert, regret now. And regret hard. Or pray
Lynn Harrell comes back to our island real soon. Short of a standing
ovation, he practically brought the house down with his performance
in the second half of the programme.
The
concert began with Arnold Schoenberg's Five Pieces for Orchestra,
a rather strange selection in view of the rest of the programme.
In fact, it got most of the audience flipping through the programme
booklet as many tried their best to appreciate it.
With
atonality, Schoenberg had done away with a thematic idea and rhythmic
constraint. This piece, along with the Three Pieces and Six
Little Pieces for Piano, tends to be short statements of a single
extreme musical state, thus warranting the term 'expressionist'.
The
first piece, Vorgefòhle ("Premonitions"),
had the sufficient 'imminent' feeling, in view of the impending
First World War. However, the SSO's playing lacked the momentum
needed for the repetitive and 'rapid fluctuations' to have any desired
effect. In fact, to say this piece sounded like it lacked inspiration
would not be too far from the truth. The second piece Vergangenes
("Yesteryears"), is a more accessible piece that makes
use of obvious repetition, and this much was clear from their playing.
However, again, it was less than convincing.
Farben
("Colours"), the third piece was supposed to be, as described
in the programme booklet as "aurally fascinating" failed
to deliver exactly that. The solo chord that opened the piece was
unsteady, as if unsure of its place or its importance. Peripetia
("Change of Fortune") and Das Obligate Rezitativ
("The Obligatory Recitative"), the fourth and fifth pieces
respectively, fared much better. In fact, musical texture was more
clearly brought out in the dramatic Peripetia, with the orchestra
working easily towards a cresending climax. On the whole the piece
was marred by being muffled by the hall's acoustics, if anything
else.
 Next
up was Debussy's La Mer, in what could be described
as an affectionate rendition, lyrical at times and more convincing
than the first item. Lan Shui gave it his best, and his conducting
of this piece must be commended for his feeling and passion of the
piece. Likewise the harpist and the cello section, which made the
piece more brilliant with their respective parts. From Dawn
to Noon on the Sea had a wonderful build up, with the muted
English horn adding a sense of romanticism to the beginning of dawn.
The conclusion of a mid-day noon sun over the magnificent sea however
failed to achieve a certain grandiose effect.
Play
of the Waves was delightfully rendered, with the harp glissandi
portraying the rise and fall of the waves so effectively, though
this movement could have taken on a more overall graceful tone.
Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea, rising from depths of storm
to the climax was the orchestra at its best in this piece. Nature's
fury echoed and by the percussions, the strings and brass gusty
and threatening, my first thought when the piece ended was that
this could be one of the SSO's best kept secrets. A more French
reading of the piece i.e. slower at certain parts, a more languid
reading would have made it an excellent piece.
Then
came Bloch's Schelomo, with Lynn Harrell taking
centrestage. Laden with emotion, it is a piece only a cellist who
'feels' the piece can pull off. To mention that Lynn Harrell's playing
of this brought tears to eyes of some in the concert hall certainly
says enough. The overwhelming emotional range of the piece was heightened
by Harrell's cello singing its way mournfully through the piece,
the strong trumpets exploding in uncontrolled emotion, with the
overall confidence and prowess of the orchestra's playing being
surprising, considering the performance of the earlier two works.
Harrell's
level of concentration and intensity impressed many, as he took
the lamentation of the piece across the scales, from the highest
to the lowest, every pull of the bow rich with voice and strength,
the music coursing through his body as he moved with the music,
feeling every sorrow in the piece. Harrell's passionate cello melody,
simple and drawing, contrasts with the complex orchestral background.
The piece concludes with a quiet coda, which Bloch intended to be
"a quiet acceptance of the sorrow that comes with knowledge."
And sorrow was the note Harrell ended on.
 In
contrast to the melancholic and dark Schelomo is Saint-Saëns'
Cello Concerto No.1 in A Minor, Op.33. Lively and played almost
to the point of being perfectly orchestrated, both Harrell (left)
and the SSO were excellent in complementing each other's playing.
The first movement saw Harrell in top form, coursing through the
octaves effortlessly, with the cellist clearly relishing every moment
of the lively first movement, his face lit up with the brilliance
of the piece. The second movement, having a court-like dance melody
to it, is gentle and allowed Harrell to show the sensitivity of
his playing.
A
Glimpse of Lynn Harrell
- An Interview by David Chew
The
third movement repeats the opening melody, interspersed with sensual
solos by the cello, which then picks up in tempo and melodic complexity,
ending with the listener feeling much pleasure at the 'effortless
beauty' of this piece. At no point here does the orchestra nor Harrell
allow one to breathe as they take it higher and higher and finally
conclude to rapturous applause from the audience. Harrell's soulful
playing, his sheer virtuoso when gliding up and down the passages
of notes, along with his thrilling use of vibrato to exceptional
effect only affirmed his effect on audiences: "Magical…",
as a fellow concert-goer seated next to me noted breathlessly amidst
the thunderous applause.
Of
course we expected an encore. This audience was shouting for it.
And Harrell obliged with two, the first a transcription of Chopin's
Nocturne in C# Minor. In the first, we were reminded again of how
Harrell makes his cello sing, as this time, unaccompanied, the mellow
and ripe sound filled the hall, his notes full and sensitive, especially
his double-stops, which gave so much depth and feeling to the piece
one could imagine a opera voice doing the singing instead of a cello.
The second piece (which I am unable to identify - "Montini
Gauvet"?), short and sweet, bursting with its lively melody
and cheer, demonstrated how much Harrell clearly enjoys playing
for an audience. His infectious warmth can be heard through his
playing and indeed brought a few laughs and smiles at the end, and
an end to what was truly a magical night.
DAVID
CHEW gets gushy about few things in life, cello music being
one of them (oysters being another), and begs the pardon of the
reader…
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9's Concert Reviewed | Next Concert Reviewed
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11.11.2001 © David Chew
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