Page 28 - Final_CBSO's 100th Birthday Celebration

BIRMINGHAM POST THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 31
music

SOUND
JUDGEMENT

the latest classical
alBuMs reVieWed
and rated

ian VEnaBLES REQUiEM
Jonathan hope / Gloucester cathedral
choir/ adrian partinGton HHHH H
Ian Venables
embarked on a
commission for
a Requiem
reluctantly but
the death of a
close friend
was the
emotional
spark which ignited the
compositional process. It’s a large
scale 40-minute work ending with
a radiant Lux aeterna. The world
premiere recording benefits from
Gloucester Cathedral’s spacious
acoustic and Adrian Partington
directs the excellent choir,
especially effective in the a
cappella Pie Jesu. Short works by
Venables, Gurney, Joubert and
Sanders complete the disc. Death
is also the subject of the works in
Venables’ song collection Love
Lies Beyond the Tomb (HHHH H).
Six Songs for Soprano and Piano,
with Mary Bevan and Graham J.
Lloyd are beautifully reflective
and meditative settings. Through
These Pale Cold Days, with tenor
Allan Clayton, include bitter and
trenchant war poems by Owen and
Sassoon. Andrew Motion’s eulogy
on the Queen Mother – Remember
Sir Simon Rattle is returning to Birmingham for a special concert marking 100 years of the CBSO, where he was music director for 18 years This, for soprano, tenor, piano and
string quartet – is an acquired
taste.
“Schumann’s Genoveva overture (Simon’s about ensemble, and section empathy, I add. hope is a satisfying programme under these ever-
suggestion) is also ideal as it was the first “All the musicians will be two metres apart, changing situations. FinZi & VaUGHan WiLLiaMS
Schumann the orchestra played, in 1924. It’s a and the whole warehouse is laid out to allow “Of course there is no live audience yet, but Michael collins / philharMonia orchestra
lovely romantic opening for our concert. individual rest spaces, staggered entry and exit, that has to come in the next months, and we will HHHH H
“The Slumdog Millionaire Suite is there etc. This will be the biggest orchestra heard or all fight to make that achievable as soon as it is Gerald Finzi’s
because we wanted to reflect the way in which seen in the UK since March, but luckily we have a possible. It is more than a little surreal that, as I clarinet
our horizons have broadened so much in recent very big space and plenty of rehearsal time so I write, we can all go to the pub in the UK, but to concerto is
years. Film music is an important part of our hope people will get used to the new layout as attend a piano recital is much too dangerous. closely
programme, and we were the first orchestra the week goes on. Sir Simon has already done a Depends who is playing, I suppose... associated with
anywhere to give a whole concert of Bollywood few concerts under similar conditions in “I am so proud of what the CBSO has achieved Michael Collins
music back in 2004 – with the legendary Germany and elsewhere, so he is used to solving in these last 22 years since I left (can it really be – this is his
composer A R Rahman, who won two Oscars for the challenges.” that long?) The finesse and the colours that are third recording
Slumdog. It’s such a coup to secure Simon to conduct their birthright seem only more powerful and of a work which is a perfect match
“And finally Stravinsky’s Firebird was the first this momentous event, given Mirga Grazinyte- distinctive as time goes on, and I am thrilled to for his virtuoso style. He makes
music played in Symphony Hall – with Simon – Tyla’s maternity leave. be making music together with them once more. the first movement’s switch from
in 1991. We wanted something big and rousing “Simon had always promised to come and give Making a programme with Stephen Maddock is vigorous declamation to lyrical
to finish, and this suite is just a few months older a concert this year, and we were just thinking always like a tennis game, an immensely grace a seamless one and the
than the orchestra!” that our original plan might not work, when this pleasurable one, however. He allowed me to finale’s catchy carefree melody
How have the players been coping during opportunity came up. He had a Prom with the cheat in pretending that 1919, the year of the absolutely irresistible. Finzi’s
lockdown? Have they been furloughed? And the LSO the previous weekend so the timing was Firebird suite, was close enough to our cente- romantic central adagio is to be
back-office staff? actually perfect. He said yes immediately!” nary, and we are praying that the British played “without rigour”, a call for
“Yes, the players have been furloughed most of Will we ever hear Gurrelieder, or Mahler’s premiere might have been 1920! the soloist to sound flexible and
the time since March. It’s been tough, but there Symphony of a Thousand in Symphony Hall ‘‘But along with Sibelius, Stravinsky has been improvisatory, which Collins
has been lots of music-making going on – see the again – or even a Bruckner symphony? at the centre of the orchestra’s heart for the last certainly does. He’s quite closely
Stay Tuned area of our website for loads of “Absolutely – but it may be a little while. I 40 years, and as Firebird was the first music recorded which makes me prefer
amazing films made in gardens, music rooms treasure those Mahler 8s from January – at least heard in Symphony Hall, it seems ever more the slightly distanced vernally
and all kinds of unusual places. A couple of we managed to start our Centenary year in style! appropriate. As does the music from Slumdog fresh sound of his 1987 recording
weeks ago we came back to the CBSO Centre for It now feels like a different world. Millionaire, reflecting the CBSO’s ever-widening now languishing in Warner
some rehearsals, and there was this great sense “We have absolutely no idea how many people connection with the city around it. And Hannah Classics’ vaults. Collins conducts
of relief for everybody, and great joy too. will log on to watch on Saturday but it should Kendall’s brilliantly effective piece is part of the the orchestra in Finzi and a
“Some of the staff have been furloughed but equate to Symphony Hall many times over. And orchestra’s unwavering commitment to the well-played, brisk performance of
lots of the work of managing the orchestra has it will remain free until the end of the month. It’s future. Vaughan Williams’ fifth symphony.
carried on unabated – from raising money, our gift to the world, and we hope people enjoy “And finally, as I was stunned to conduct the Pleasant enough but not matching
creating and sharing the digital content, future it!’’ Berlin Philharmonic’s first-ever performance of the best – Haitink’s epic sweep,
planning and a massive amount of work related And the last word of course has to go to Sir Dvorak’s Carneval, so I’m equally amazed that the opening horn call almost
specifically to Covid, there has been plenty to do. Simon Rattle himself. the CBSO has never performed Schumann’s Brucknerian, or Previn’s glorious
And understanding the ever-changing Govern- “It’s a wonderful surprise to find myself back in Genoveva Overture in its history: a ten-minute 1970 LSO recording which
ment guidance – and contributing to it – is also a Brum so soon, the last-minute nature of it typical summing up of the entire romantic movement, accentuates the scherzo’s impish
full-time job!” of our weird times. And in a conductor’s life one of my personal favourites, and a magnificent humour and makes the Romanza’s
How will rehearsing and performing be where so much is written in stone three years in way to celebrate the birthday of this band that I yearning almost palpable.
affected, respecting social distancing? I do worry advance it’s refreshing to improvise what we love so much.” Norman Stinchcombe