It is a matter of deep regret that the Royal Festival Hall is closed for business for another year.
Hmm, thinks carefully...no regrets that I voted in favour of the planning permission for the total refurb!
So when a big choral work is planned, the Philharmonia decamps down to the grotesque Gothic Westminster Cathedral. Last Wednesday they did so with the Bach Choir, under David Hill, and soloists Carolyn Sampson, Anna Burford and Grant Doyle. The programme was not a 'must-see' for me, but I wouldn't miss Carolyn Sampson without good reason. And the Philharmonia and Bach are reliable forces.
The programme started with Wagner's Good Friday Music from Parsifal; and the body of the concert was Szymanowski's Stabat Mater and Brahms' German Requiem.
It struck me as being a bit mistimed, actually. It would have been excellent for Good Friday, not for the Wednesday between Ascension and Pentecost.
I was in an excellent seat, second row from the front. I acted irrationally and questioned why. When I arrived, the woman in the seat next to mine had her crutch propped on my seat, and I indicated politely that it was my seat, so she moved her crutch, and without any sense I suggested that she might prefer the aisle seat. After I sat third seat in, I wondered what on earth possessed me to do something so pointless. But then the soloists came out and I realised that I was sitting directly opposite Carolyn Sampson, with no one in front of me.
There was an empty seat next to me, on which I laid my programme. I realised that the man to the left of that seat was craning his neck to get a free read, so I nonchalantly gathered up my programme and held it so that he could only see the advert on the back. Upside down. Out of my extreme peripheral vision I could see him hurriedly looking away at being caught. Never underestimate my peripheral vision: it compensates for my spacial unawareness! He proceeded to spend the rest of the concert nervously sniffing.
Simon was also present and got bad acoustics and bad neighbours.
My acoustics were fine - very much enveloped-by-the-orchestra which I have found happens at many venues. Even so, I will express the caveat that my judgement may be affected by the generally appalling acoustics of the place.
The Wagner was the most insipid Wagner I have ever heard and I could only regard it as a necessary opener to allow the Latecomers (from the long toilet queue) to take their rightful seats. I hope that Wagner, especially something like Parsifal will sound grand, almost pompous. I was out of luck.
Then the Szymanowski. I have never heard it before, but I definitely want to hear it again. I really liked it. I'm writing this review five days later so I can't remember why i liked it was big, raucous and thrilling. I think it was probably quite a difficult sing for the soloists; at times I noticed that both Anna Burford and Grant Doyle were having a few strains at the extremes of the range (him at the top, her at the bottom) and at one point I caught an characteristically breathy sound in Carolyn Sampson's usually crystal clear top. But please don't let those quibbles detract from an overall good performance. I haven't heard Anna Burford before but would hear her again. Interesting voice - a wonderful rich and dark sound near the bottom that made me think she was a contralto, but then she didn't really get those really low notes, so she can't be. So, I suppose a dramatic mezzo with a curtailed range. Perhaps, what do I know. But definitely a voice that's pleasant to listen to. Grant Doyle had a pleasant sounded voice and put plenty of expression into what he was singing, although I sensed that there was not a great amount of natural colour in the voice. Still, he's young.
And Carolyn was gorgeous throughout.
After the interval was the Brahms German Requiem, which is mainly a choral piece with occasional passages for the soprano and baritone soloist. I don't possess a CD of it, but I do have various extracts on various compilation CDs. And although I enjoyed hearing it live, I can't say I'm in a hurry to rush out and buy a CD. It seemed to go on for an eternity. And although I enjoyed the performance of orchestra and chorus, I do feel I have been spoilt of late by the LSO/LSC.
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