Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Mozart and Haydn with Nicholas Altstaedt
Queen’s Hall - 26/10/23
Nicholas Altstaedt, director/cello
There’s an excited buzz in the café and a good turnout on a wet day for the first of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s three matinee concerts this season. These are part of the main subscription series and have been included in response to replies in an audience questionnaire. Bassoonist Alison Green, introducing the concert, tells us to indicate our approval to the SCO’s marketing people who will be around during the interval, and also lets us in to the secret that for the musicians the chance “to get home for our tea” is very welcome!
They all certainly deserve a good tea after a hard-working afternoon. This is as exciting an SCO concert as any evening event, with Nicolas Altstaedt, a thrilling soloist with fascinating ideas on directing the orchestra too. We begin with Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C, his first cello concerto, written when he was in his early thirties, and referred to in contemporary documents but only discovered in 1961. There’s a theory that there may be as many undiscovered works of art as those in existence. So it’s always interesting when one of these turns up and this has an SCO link, as the premiere of the Cello Concerto given by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra was conducted in 1962 by Charles Mackerras.
Altstaedt, seated in front of the orchestra, directs them in a vigorous period-like first movement, a dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra. The two horns, one bassoon and an oboe provide accompaniment to the strings in the first and third movements but aren’t heard separately. The orchestra playing is full of panache and Altstaedt encourages an attacking style, directing, partly through eye contact with the leader (guest leader Hed Yaron-Meyerson, who is very impressive) sometimes by turning round to conduct during the relatively rare periods when he’s not playing, and often by raising his hands above his head during pauses. It all works fine! The long cadenza in the first movement may well have been rehearsed, but has the feel of improvisation, a reflective development on both the higher and lower strings of themes from the movement, some 21st century experimentation with the sound possibilities of the instrument - all much wittier and more fun than any attempt to describe it.
The second movement adagio without the winds is a quiet legato contrast. After the strings set out the first theme, the cellist plays a hidden opening – a long note with the orchestra before picking up the tune after a couple of bars, a technique which is repeated several times. There’s some exploration of the themes in the lower register and also with ornamentation higher up, while Altstaedt directs the orchestra to fine down their sound at times to a gentle pianissimo. The allegro molto third movement is perky, with the winds, especially the horns, delivering a sonorous background. A couple of long crescendos and some splendid high speed virtuosity from the soloist brings the work to a close. There are well-deserved cheers for Altstaedt and the orchestra.
The theme for today’s concert is Eastern Europe. Haydn’s concerto was found in the Czech National Library of Prague, and before exploring Mozart’s Prague connections, we have two sets of dances from Hungary, composed in the 20th century. Kodaly’s ‘Dances from Galanta’ were commissioned in 1933 by the Hungarian Philharmonic for their 80th anniversary, and as a celebration involving all sections of the orchestra this can hardly be bettered. Kodaly recalled the “gipsy” tunes of his boyhood in Galanta, and found appropriate musical themes in the Budapest Library, before arranging his one movement work in the pattern of a traditional verbunkas, with a slow opening followed by several dances increasing in speed and wildness. The full orchestra are on stage including four horns, two trumpets, timpani and two percussionists, playing glockenspiel, triangle and snare drum. The starring role is for the clarinet (representing a traditional reed instrument) and Maximiliano Martin turns in a splendid performance throughout, especially in the slow opening when he plays over shimmering strings. There are several lovely passages for Andre Cebrian on flute and Marta Gomez on piccolo, and the four horns work in various pairings and with different instruments. Meanwhile there are “gipsy style” interludes for the strings. Altstaedt conducts with gusto, leaping up in excitement as the work nears its end. Timpani, double-bass pizzicato, horns and trumpets lead the accelerando which comes to a sudden stop: we’re fooled by what seems to be a seductive coda for clarinet and bassoon before another rip-roaring climax.
A satisfied audience enjoys the interval. The younger Hungarian composer, Veress’s ‘Transylvanian Dances’, written in the 1940’s, is a work for string orchestra. The players sit in a horse-shoe shape, with Altstaedt seated beside the other cellos at the 2 o’clock position from the audience’s point of view. Diagonally opposite the leader, and across from the new principal viola, Max Mandel, he’s well-placed to direct. The four short dances begin, like Kodaly’s work, with a slow ‘Lassu.’ It’s marked poco rubato and takes time to explore the authentic-sounding melodies and interesting harmonies. It’s contrasted with the allegretto of the ’Ugros’, which is led off by the second violins with the other sections joining in a fugal opening, after which the different themes and rhythms seem to vie for the upper hand, with some vigorous pizzicato until the lower strings bring the movement to a slithering halt. Altstaedt’ s on-stage direction is minimal, a raised eyebrow or nod, but the section principals have obviously been delegated to lead off the different movements. He and principal cellist, Philip Higham, begin the slower third movement which also features solos for viola and violin (Max Mandel and Hed Yaron-Meyerson making the most of these interludes). The vivace allegro of the final dance involves ever more rapid fiddling, with a struck wooden block and a ‘hey’ from the director adding to the excitement.
The wind players and the timpanist return, and folk sounds give way to the drum rolls and majestic opening of Mozart’s Prague symphony. The fickle Viennese appeared to have tired of Mozart in 1786, while the audiences in Prague loved ‘The Marriage of Figaro.’ Mozart’s Symphony No 38 was not written specifically for Prague, but he took advantage of his popularity to give the work its first performance in the city. (Read more on Mozart’s Prague links in David Kettle’s excellent programme notes here. There’s plenty of bounce and energy in the first movement allegro with the horns and trumpets ringing out over the full orchestra though the quieter passages featuring flutes, bassoons and oboes are given due emphasis too. The scoring for this concerto indicate the changes in orchestral practice since the 1760s when Haydn’s Cello Concerto was written. Haydn’s wind instruments added texture and oomph to the sound, but weren’t given the limelight, but now Mozart showcases the sounds of the winds, in solos and various combinations of instruments. This is even more obvious in the beautifully played second movement, in which Altstaedt sets a leisurely paced andante, which lets us revel in, for example, the delightful passages for flutes and horns. There’s a sparkling flute solo too in the rhythmic presto finale, which the director drives forward to its exuberant conclusion amid blazing brass and resounding drums. An excellent afternoon which bodes well for the success of the SCO’s matinee performances.
In other SCO news, the concert on 2nd November is conducted by Ryan Bancroft with music by Copland, Ives and a new commission by Errolyn Wallen at the usual 7.30 time. Also on the 2nd at 2pm is a performance of Copland’s ‘Appalachian Spring’ for people living with dementia, their friends and carers. Meanwhile the digital performance of Sally Beamish’ s string quartet, ‘Opus California’, with today’s leader, Hed Yaron-Meyerson, Kana Kawashima, violin, Felix Tanner, viola, and Philip Higham, cello, is available online until November 18th in an atmospheric film made at Leith Theatre. See the SCO website for more information on all of these.
