Page 513 - Aldeburgh Festival 2022 FINAL COVERAGE BOOK

Proceedings on Thursday began with Elizabeth Maconchy’s Proud Thames, a
work written in response to a London County Council competition (which she

won) for a Coronation Overture. Brabbins steered the orchestra through a vividly

scored work evoking the spirit of the Thames from its source to the City. From its
germinal trumpet figure and wriggling woodwind through to its majestic close,

this six-minute tribute is rich in detail and accumulating orchestral sonority.

While somewhat limited in melodic inspiration the BBC NOW made a good case
for this curtain-raiser.

Following an appreciation of Sir Humphrey Burton’s contribution to music
broadcasting in the UK and his presentation with honorary membership of the

Royal Philharmonic Society, there followed a performance of Walton’s Cello

Concerto. This was originally conceived for the Ukrainian-born cellist Mr Gregor
Piatigorsky. Here the soloist was Laura van der Heijden who had won the BBC

Young Musician of the Year Competition in 2012 with this very concerto. I’ve
heard the opening ‘Moderato’ taken a little faster than this performance, but its

relaxed tempo did at least allow for orchestral colouring to register fully within

its soulful rumination. Despite van de Heijden’s technically secure and poised
address, and sensitive collaboration from the players, the movement felt

earthbound.

Walton’s characteristic bite was much in evidence in the scherzo, its nervous
energy and scintillation fully realised, even if the soloist’s dynamic range seemed

somewhat restricted. This performance really took wing in the finale: van de

Heijden beguiling in the opening ‘Lento’ section where elegance of line and
musical intelligence combined for a wonderful intimacy. As if ignited by the third

variation’s muscular rhythms, the orchestra shone and played with unrestrained
zeal in the tuttis. The closing paragraphs seemed to reach into eternity, Brabbins

making a stretch limo of the phrases, but all the better for capturing Walton’s

tenderness. Little wonder Humphrey Burton commented in his earlier speech
that the concerto was really a love letter to the composer’s wife Susana.

There followed a blistering account of Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony – a work I
heard this orchestra play in a memorable performance under Thomas

Søndergård at the 2017 Proms. Its first movement is an emotional roller-coaster

which can flag; here Brabbins shaped its arch-like design with flawless control,