The Hallé, St David’s Hall, 7th October
Conductor: Sir Mark Elder
Piano: Benjamin Grosvenor
Before the orchestra began their final work of the evening, Sir Mark Elder arrived on stage with a microphone to praise the quality of St David’s Hall and express his joy at being back in the venue. The Hallé was rated in the top 10 acoustics in the world by acoustician Leo L Beranek in a recent report (source: http://uk.businessinsider.com/best-concert-halls-in-the-world-2016-10?r=US&IR=T/) and with good reason. Orchestras always sound spectacular in this space, with crisp and clean sound perfectly distributed around the auditorium.
The concert opened with Dvořák’s symphonic poem The Golden Spinning Wheel. The work is very narrative-based with obvious changes of scene, and these felt at times a little clunky, leading to a lacklustre middle section. Elder’s coaxing of the sound he was looking for did provide some lovely passages, particularly from the lower brass ensemble. The energy picked up towards the finale and the piece ended on a high.
Benjamin Grosvenor then joined the orchestra for Lizst’s Piano Concerto 2. Clearly a very talented pianist, Grosvenor’s performance was technically excellent, working very well with the orchestra to produce a wonderful sound. Despite this there was little remarkable about it, possibly a flaw of the work itself which is very much a showpiece for the fast-fingered rather than the kind of romance you can feel tugging at your heartstrings. That said, it was consummately performed and satisfyingly dramatic in all the right places.
During the interval, the orchestral seating was rearranged, with the lower strings split either side of the viola section. Much muttering ensued until Elder explained that the orchestra have been experimenting with different seating arrangements. The split bass section, he said, brought the bass line closer to every player and grounded the performance.
He was not wrong. The sound was quite spectacular. Beethoven’s symphonic music – in this case the ‘Pastoral’ sixth symphony – with its passing of melodies from section to section, works perfectly in this layout. Every melody, and its echoed transfer, was crystal clear. The groundswells of sound throughout the symphony, which begin in the bass line and work their way up, were particularly exciting with the lower string sound coming from every angle.
The players clearly enjoy this format. The difference in energy from them here was palpable, particularly in the lively third movement. There were also several excellent woodwind solos, notably the first bassoon whose sound was captivating. The lower brass, again, came into their own in this hall with the warmth of their sound filling the space.
The orchestra, with their principal conductor at the podium, appear to be a team who work together very well. I would have liked to see some of the energy displayed in the Beethoven across the whole concert, but overall it was a strong performance of a varied programme.
words JEN THORNTON