Flanders Symphony Orchestra
Usher Hall, 23/06/24
Sunday Classics: Flanders Symphony Orchestra
Flanders Symphony Orchestra, Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, Kristiina Poska (conductor), Yena Choi (soprano), Kadi Jürgens (mezzo-soprano), Denzil Delaere (tenor), Christian Immler (bass-baritone)
The Sunday Classics 2023-24 season at the Usher Hall concluded on 23rd June with a matinee performance by the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, with the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus and vocal soloists, conducted by the Estonian conductor Kristiina Poska, in a performance of Mozart’s Requiem in the familiar completion by Süssmayr. The concert opened with more Mozart, his ‘Don Giovanni’ Overture, followed by Beethoven’s 8th Symphony. The concert was quite well-attended. Unusually, the nigh on 100-strong choir occupied the choir balcony throughout the first half, clad in black with gold sashes for the ladies, worn on the right shoulder for the sopranos stage right and on the left for the altos stage left; the tenors and basses in the middle. Before a note was sung, they looked absolutely stunning.
With the modest forces of a chamber classical orchestra, the Flanders Symphony did not lack dynamic power, though in the overture and symphony, from my vantage in the Grand Circle, the balance did somewhat favour the two of each wind, horns, trumpets and timpani. The melodrama of the overture’s introduction, the Don’s ‘comeuppance’ music, was satisfyingly theatrical, the violas particularly delicious in their depiction of infernal flames rising. The rakish mischievous scampering of the main theme was crisp and agile, holding promise for the Beethovenian goodies to come. Kristiina Poska, like Donald Runnicles, waves a left-handed baton and there much of the same fully-committed ensemble playing in the orchestra’s response to her conducting, sans score for the first half. A great start.
The same characterful crispness permeated the Beethoven, with the added element of puckish humour. The sforzandi and displaced accents of the first movement were beautifully pointed, while the contrasting moments of lyricism were undiminished in their charm and, while the overshadowing monumental Ninth may feature an ‘Ode to Joy’, the Eighth needs to shine as joy itself, and it absolutely did. The brisk ‘slow’ movement similarly allowed the lyricism to shine through the waggish motor rhythms and was delightful. The lumbering drunken minuet that is the scherzo tickled every funny bone, while the horns (Hanna Guirten and Bruno Melckebeke) and solo clarinet (Daniel Mourek) were glorious in the lyrical trio. The hilarious finale, with Beethoven’s best C# ‘wrong note’ as a running gag, was a runaway hoot. Everything the Eighth can be it was in spades. Superb.
During the interval, a continuo organ, a conductor’s music stand, seats at the edges for four soloists, and seats and stands for three trombones were added to the stage; and a wee rearrangement was affected. The four vocal soloists were all new to me and were all stars. Multi-talented Korean soprano Yena Choi is now based in Estonia and brought a limpid clarity of tone and diction with subtle and sparing vibrato to her line, particularly in her early solo in the Introitus, but also blending beautifully in the quartet numbers, especially the gorgeous Benedictus. Estonian mezzo Kadi Jürgens delivered warmth and power across the alto tessitura and it is easy to believe that she is nailing a whole series of operatic roles, including some soprano roles (e.g. Zerlina). I consider her to be my number one discovery of the afternoon. So many wonderful moments, but the tenderness of her timbre in the surpassingly beautiful and quasi-operatic Recordare in the Dies Irae Sequentia brought a tear to my eye. Belgian tenor Denzil Delaere already has an impressive CV of opera, recital and concert work and brought rich colour and character to his line, blending expertly with the others in the contrapuntal numbers and superb in the ‘Tuba mirum’ section of the Sequentia. In the same number, German bass-baritone Christian Immler was stunning in duet with a tenor trombone (Schoup Gert-Jan) and the ensuing cadenza, delivering a performance of great warmth and expressive directness. Fabulous.
The choir were as aurally impressive as their visual promise. Scrumptiously sepulchral in the Introitus, the Kyrie gave a first taste of their ardent facility with contrapuntal singing as they were unleashed in a double fugue. Flawless pitching in the chromaticism of the Dies Irae confirmed their status as a topflight chorus. More delicious full-on counterpoint with Rex tremendae dropped dramatically to hushed awe and had me on the edge of my seat. A spirit-shocking contrast can be wrung from the brutality of the male voices interspersed with the gentleness of the female lines in the Confutatis and Kristiina Poska exploited this to great effect, the chorus evidently willing accomplices in the theatricality. The mood of the opening was recalled in the Lacrymosa, bringing the Sequentia to a close. Two more fabulous fugues drove the drama of the first part of the Offertorium, Domine Jesu. The second part, Hostias, with dynamic contrasts and searching harmonies, explored a range of keys before another dramatic fugue. Süssmayr’s Sanctus was satisfying with its wee fugue on the Hosanna. After the Agnus Dei, the Communio brought us back to Mozart’s glorious music from the beginning, fitted to the concluding liturgy. Perfect.
The Usher Hall audience knew they had experienced something special. The dynamic balance, a bit light on the string sound in the first half, was fine for the Requiem. The applause was enthusiastic and prolonged and the chorus’ Music Director, Darius Battiwalli, came to the stage to acknowledge it with the other performers. Ms Poska then addressed the auditorium, thanking the audience for the warm welcome and announced “a little present”. The four soloists had joined the choir in their balcony. All then performed the most perfect rendition of Mozart’s exquisite ‘Ave verum corpus’ as an encore. A perfect end to a perfect afternoon of music-making.
Photo Credit: Kaupo Kikkas