Page 29 - Coverage Book_Aurora Orchestra Autumn 2020

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 - Nicholas Collon, Aurora Orchestra
West Handyside Canopy, Kings Cross (Photo Monika S Jakubowska/Kings Place)

However, what did come over was the players' joy in communal music making. Shorn of stands and
chairs, the standing players were all free to react to the music, and react they did. Wagner called this
symphony the apotheosis of dance, and here we sensed the musicians if not dancing then certainly
swaying to the music. The symphony is notorious partly because of Beethoven's metronome markings
imply a tempo in the final movement which can seem unachievable. I have no idea how close Collon
and his players came to the historic metronome markings, but the whole symphony was taken at quite
a lick. But more importantly it flowed, there was never a sense of the music being driven instead the
slower movements seemed to have a sense of momentum which was welcome and the faster ones a
feeling of unstoppable energy. This was an evening which positively fizzed, and the joy was palpable.