RSNO: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - 11/11/23

Anja Bihlmaier, conductor | Nelson Goerner, piano

The cold night of Saturday 11th November saw the Royal Scottish National Orchestra back in Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall to reprise their Usher Hall programme of concert favourites of the previous night, under the baton of guest conductor, Anja Bihlmaier. They were joined by Argentinian virtuoso Nelson Goerner for a performance of Rachmaninov’s well-loved passionate Piano Concerto No.2, followed after the interval by the equally popular and supremely tuneful Eighth Symphony of Dvořák, my personal favourite of the nine. The concert opened with English composer Anna Clyne’s Beethoven-inspired 2020 piece for strings, ‘Stride’. The concert was very well-attended.

The Clyne piece mirrors, in three sections played without a break, the structure of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Op,13 ‘Pathétique’, from which it draws melodic, rhythmic and harmonic germs, creatively and imaginatively developed into a completely original composition. It is tuneful, pacy and engaging, reminding me in these characteristics of her piece for full orchestra, ‘This Midnight Hour’, heard in a BBCSSO concert last Halloween. Anja guided the RSNO strings through a fresh, characterful interpretation. The ‘striding’ refers to the cellos echoing the octave leaps in the left hand of the Beethoven (but also melodically reminiscent of the Passacaglia theme from Brahms 4), giving the first movement its rhythmic vitality. The slow section is lyrical and melancholy with a more anxious central episode. Waltz metre carries the finale through to its emphatic conclusion. The playing was superb, rich string harmonic writing redolent of 19th century masterpieces like Grieg’s ‘Holberg Suite’ and Tchaikovsky’s ‘Serenade’. A great concert-opener.

The Scottish concertgoer will never be starved of opportunities to hear Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto: it is a rare season that does not feature it at least once, such is its enduring popularity. Only three months ago in the Edinburgh Festival, Mikhail Pletnev gave it an outing with the LSO, though I found his interpretation somewhat underwhelming. I was hoping for better from Goerner with the RSNO. I was not disappointed. As I get older, I find that I value the quality of dialogue between the solo instrument and instruments of the orchestra almost above all other considerations in the performance of concerti. And I have come to the realisation that our Scottish orchestras relish the opportunity to deliver consistently in this regard, and visiting conductors happily embrace the artistry. Guest Principal horn, Benji Hartnell-Booth’s solo in the first movement was sublime and the cellos sang magnificently. Nelson’s flawless phrasing and teasing rubato found a sympathetic response in Anja’s precise but expressive direction. Timothy Orpen’s clarinet solo in the slow movement was as good as I have heard, sensitively conversing with Nelson’s cantabile line. Nelson’s virtuosity in the cadenza was fabulous. In keeping with tradition, the finale was played attacca, the tempo flexible to the expressive intent but always passionate and thrilling, even in the slower, march-like, suspenseful ritornelli with their subtle pianissimo clips on the cymbals. The first appearance of the ‘Big Tune’ on violas was breathtakingly lovely, while its final passionate restatement before the thrilling coda was overwhelming. Top-drawer Rachmaninov with soloist, conductor and orchestra “in the zone”. Glasgow agreed and the applause was thunderous. There was an encore, not introduced, but my best guess is Rachmaninov’s Prelude in A-flat major, No. 8 of the Op.23 set. Superb.

The Eighth is the only one of Dvořák’s symphonies in which I’ve actually played: in the second violins of the amateur Dublin Orchestral Players rehearsals back in 1984, though a job offer in Wiltshire meant I missed performing in the concert. In contrast with the tragic quasi-Germanic gravitas and tension of the Seventh, it luxuriates in rustic Bohemian charm, glorious melodies and exquisite harmonies and, though not without its challenges, is a joy to play. Anja and the players of the RSNO set about communicating that joy and sense of fundamental ‘rightness’ about the world with warm engaging playing that dispelled the cold of the November night and the worries of the troubled world of 2023. The wistful, hymn-like opening melody on the cellos and the first of many sweet flute solos from Katherine Bryan launched the brisk life-affirming first movement which, although not without its moments of anxiety, is fundamentally optimistic in character. The slow movement, full of exotic quasi-Turkish melodies, featured great ensemble playing from all sections of the orchestra, especially the winds. The troubled brief minor-key central section started atmospherically and dramatically pianissimo, as characterful as I have heard. The third movement’s lilting waltz was suffused with charm, the first trio deliciously cantabile and folksong-like, the second a molto vivace thrilling coda with a cheeky throwaway ending, launching attacca into the opening fanfare of the finale. This has something of the character of a loosely-structured theme-and-variations embedded in a freer rhapsodic envelope. A wild, abandoned, drunken dance-like variation makes an early appearance, complete with whooping horns – hilarious. A rapid, fiendishly difficult solo flute variation from Katherine was absolutely stunning, as was a wistful aria-like clarinet variation from Timothy. Sighing strings in glorious harmony let us believe the movement might end quietly. Flute and oboe make vain attempts to start the theme for a reprise. Then suddenly the drunken variation reprises instead and leads straight into the even wilder and ebullient coda. Fabulous. Anja and the RSNO shared the joy they find in performing Dvořák’s most optimistic life-affirming symphony and transported us to a happier place. It doesn’t get much better.