EIF: London Symphony Orchestra

Edinburgh Academy Junior School

Lollipops from the LSO but no beef.

This was my thought at the end of the LSO concert on Thursday night in the big tent at Edinburgh Academy. There had been a sense of expectation before the concert leading to sell out numbers. Simon Rattle is one of the biggest conductors in the world and recently he has announced he is leaving Britain and moving to Germany, where he lives in Berlin with his family, leaving the LSO and taking over as conductor in Munich. Could this be Simon Rattle’s farewell concert at the Festival? And given the difficulties of travel in post-Brexit Britain would we ever see his Munich orchestra in Edinburgh? So it was somewhat disappointing to see the programme on offer at the concert. There were three rather slight works meant to entertain and no major work designed to thrill. Secondly this was less than the full LSO, little more than 30-40 musicians were in Edinburgh, compared to the normal number of around 80 for a full LSO concert. Of course it may be that COVID restrictions caused smaller numbers. It was notable that all the string players stayed masked throughout. Maybe the numbers also dictated the choice of programme; these works could safely be played with smaller chamber orchestra numbers. 

The concert began Jacques Ibert’s ‘Divertissement’, written in 1929 for a French farce ‘The Italian Straw Hat’, It is entertaining, using strings, some wind and piano to create high spirits. It’s a perfect opening work and was warmly received as was Rattle’s very expressive conducting; he really does enjoy his work. Sadly this opening work wasn’t followed by a major work but another lollipop. Czech composer Martinŭ was in Paris at the time of Ibert’s work and composed his Jazz Suite in 1928. He said it was inspired by music from the US, presumably including Jazz. Composed in four parts including a section called Blues it was a perfectly pleasant if underwhelming work and personally I couldn’t find much jazz influence. Finally we got Strauss’s suite ‘Le Bourgeois gentilhomme’, written originally for Moliere’s play and eventually becoming Strauss’s opera ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’ which is being presented later in the Festival. So there was a French connection, and it is meant to entertain; it fitted the theme of the concert but again it is not a major work and while entertaining it left me underwhelmed. It was a fuller LSO that played the Strauss including a harp, three double bass, and piano. Rattle was in great form, conducting with a flourish, and he got a very warm response from the big crowd at the covered pavilion, but it left me feeling slightly disappointed, and asking the question “where is the beef?”