EIF: Czech Philharmonic I
Usher Hall - 20/08/22
The first of two concerts by the Czech Philharmonic at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival took place in the Usher Hall on the night of 20th of August, with a programme of works by Czech composers Dvořák, Martinů and Janáček, conducted by Semyon Bychkov.
Dvořák’s ebullient, glittering, life-affirming ‘Carnival Overture’, always a great concert-opener, received the full Czech Phil treatment, confirming yet again their status as definitive performers of Czech orchestral music. The shimmering central section with its hauntingly beautiful clarinet solo was utterly magical, while the pyrotechnics of the closing pages were as exuberantly joyous as I’ve heard, confirming that Bychkov’s partnership with the orchestra as Music Director since 2018 continues to be a happy and fruitful one.
Pianists Katia & Marielle Labèque, the latter of whom is married to Bychkov, then joined the orchestra for Martinů’s ‘Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra’. The presence of two solo pianos on stage makes this the only piece of Martinů’s orchestral music, to my knowledge, to not have a piano in the orchestra. However, the texture of the opening forte tutti, seldom light in Martinů’s mature compositional style, is a particularly dense wash of sound and, for the first time in my personal experience, defeated the usually forgiving acoustic of the Usher Hall, so that while vaguely aware of the expected jazzy syncopations and shifting buoyancy of the major harmonies, I was unable to resolve much of the melodic content. This issue affected my enjoyment of much of the first movement, though I could appreciate the virtuosity of both soloists and orchestral players. The more sombre Adagio was in the character of Martinů’s nocturnal music, with more gentle dynamics permitting a fuller appreciation of material that was both contemplative and rhapsodic. The finale is rich in syncopated melody and bravura writing, with a more contemplative central section and a final exuberant dash to the finish. There is no mistaking the composer’s compositional ingenuity in this work, or the extraordinarily virtuosic playing involved in its performance, and I am very glad to have been present at such a spirited outing for the piece. However, I cannot expect that I will ever number it among my favourites of his vast output.
The sisters played a superbly virtuosic encore: the finale of ‘Four Movements for Two Pianos’ by Philip Glass.
After the interval, the orchestra was joined by the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Evelina Dobračeva (soprano), Lucie Hilscherová (mezzo-soprano), Aleš Briscein (tenor), Jan Martiník (bass) and Daniela Valtová Kosinová on the great organ of the Usher Hall for a performance of Janáček’s monumental ‘Glagolitic Mass’. English supertitles assisted with a translation of the Old Slavonic. This extraordinary work is bursting with Janáček’s quirky creativity and unmistakable compositional idiom and received a performance that permitted all the fullest expression. The iconic opening enjoyed brass chording that was rich and perfectly blended; the string sound was iridescent; the lovely characteristic Eastern European oboe sound was untampered by the lamentable homogenisation of recent years. The organ interludes were magnificent, as were all the pedal timpani solos, one of the many thrilling features of the work. Our Festival Chorus (director Aidan Oliver), were also most impressive singing in Old Slavonic, while the Czech soloists sang with evident devotion, even the mezzo, to whom the quirky Janáček has given barely two lines. In summary, a very fine and truly memorable performance of a great work.
Cover photo: Jassy Earl