Dominic in MusicOMH is quick off the mark with a review of last night's concert - Haitink's Beethoven: Symphony No 9 'Choral' - LSO @ Barbican Hall, London.
I cannot disagree with a word. It was stupendous.
I think it was the first time I have ever heard Beethoven's 1st. I have CDs of 2-8. After tonight I won't lose sleep if I never hear it again, although it's perfectly pleasant and enjoyable.
But the Ninth was something else. I wrote "I suspect a poll of the public would make Beethoven's Ninth the most popular Symphony of all" but then I checked the Classic FM Hall of Fame, and am surprised to find it's only the second most popular after Six (Pastoral). In fact, I would have predicted Beethoven 9, Beethoven 5, Mozart 41 and Dvorak 9, but the top ten symphonies are:
- Beethoven 6
- Beethoven 9
- Rachmaninov 2
- Saint-Saëns 3
- Dvorak 9
- Beethoven 5
- Beethoven 7
- Mahler 5
- Tchaikovsky 6
- Beethoven 3
The Rach and S-S are from out of left field as far as I'm concerned; what does surprise me, although on reflection shouldn't, is how much more popular are concertos than symphonies*.
Digression over, I can only echo MusicOMH's superlatives. I am particularly interested that Dominic mentions the timpani because on my way out, I exclaimed to Jimmy "The timpani were amazing!".
But let's be honest; the biggest single draw factor for Beethoven 9 is the singing. The massed ranks of the London Symphony chorus were stupendous. I think I have noticed something before with this particular choir. I don't know how it is achieved and certainly don't have the technical vocabulary to describe it. I don't like screechy sopranos. There is a fine line that when crossed makes sops sound screechy. The LSO Ladies push right up to this line but absolutely do not cross it; the result is a wonderful sound, possibly a high risk strategy. I was glorying in this amazing sound when I realised it was also being echoed in the violins. Again, I hate screechy strings
Throughout the first three movements I had wondered when the soloists would enter, and where they would sit. Obviously not at the front in the traditional soloist position, and being that I was in Row G, the final row before the auditorium starts to rise, I couldn't see over the orchestra to work out where they would be.
And suddenly this remarkable sound emerged from over on the far left behind the violins and I realised that the soloists had stood up, and, by dint of resting my head in my fiancé's lap, I was able to see as well as hear the wonderful Gerald Finley. And, just about, the other soloists: Twyla Robinson, Karen Cargill and John McMaster. They were well over on the far left behind the violins. I shall have a much better view from my seat in the Circle tonight.
I think of this, soloist-wise, as being predominantly a bass work, and if I say that my favourite baritone was singing the bass role, and he did not disappoint my high expectations, I trust that is sufficient!. And I have no criticisms of the other soloists. I was struck by how effectively they worked as an ensemble, at times the voices melting into one.
A truly memorable concert, and, shucks, I have to go through it all again tonight. It will be interesting to compare acoustically because from down in the stalls I felt enveloped by a tremendous wall of sound. At the end I just had to let out a scream and rise to my feet, and then, feeling a bit self-conscious I glanced around and about a third of the audience that I could see were also on their feet! I'm not being funny, but you know it's good when people are waxing enthusiastic in the loos and on the way out, rather than fretting about quotidian minutiae.
* I also think this list is a bit misleading: I think the rest of Dvorak's 9th is not nearly as well liked as the 'Hovis' movement, and it impossible to believe that the most highly ranked opera is Cavalleria Rusticana, feeling sure that must merely mean the Intermezzo, despite the listing - as opposed to the Pearlfishers' Duet which may surprise many Classic FM listeners to know that it is just one extract from a rarely performed (reportedly justifiably) opera. But then, what is the extract that lures people to vote for the Magic Flute above, for example, the Marriage of Figaro
