Performance: Stravinsky, Ravel & Saint Saëns, Nottingham 2024

The BBC Philharmonic orchestra came to Nottingham Royal Concert Hall on 1 October 2024 with a mammoth programme of delightful, colourful music:

Simone Lamsma
violin

Jonathan Scott
organ

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

John Storgårds conductor

It was a barnstorming evening with I think the Stravinsky as the most imposing performance, but I don’t think anyone would have come out of the auditorium feeling short changed. The BBC Philharmonic sounded fabulous and John Storgårds got the best out of all the pieces with a confident, energetic engagement.  At the end the players clapped him - always a good sign.

As you can see in the photo above the ranks of the orchestra were swelled for the programme and it sounded so beautiful in the forgiving acoustic of the Royal Concert Hall.  A full complement of strings 7 double basses, 7 percussionist, celeste, piano & organ on stage).  Incidentally these numbers were carried through the test of the programme - I doubt the accompaniment to Tzigane has ever sounded so lush.

Together the ensemble produced a vigourous  colourful and dramatic reading of Stravinsky‘s second big ballet,  There was no holding back any section of the orchestra with brass split hornets the left of stage and the trumpets and lower brass to the right.  The string sections were stunning and the winds never faltered given everything Stravinsky has them do.  And the percussion cut through wonderfully.  There is under Storgårds the kind of rhythmical acuity which puts players and audience at ease.  I have heard the Stravinsky done well before in concert of the Proms but this Nottingham performance was an almost perfect realisation of a fiendish score.  Also note this was the original score which included bells and other additions which were later stripped back by Stravinsky after the war.t

They second piece after the interval was Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso - a delicate delicious palate cleanser after Stravinsky’s murderous tale. Simone Lamsma played beautifully with a sweet rich tone and all the acrobatics. Saint Saëns can be a bit of a note spinner but this was a lovely piece - Storgårds (also a violinist) provided ample support without overwhelming soloist or orchestra.

What followed was my first encounter live encounter of Ravel’s Tzigane. I haven’t really enjoyed it in previous auditions on disc but the concert hall experience can focus the concentration.  The combination of the richness of the huge orchestra and the Lamsma’s fine projection made it a bigger and better piece. I wonder if it’s time for some rehabilitation of this piece.  Lamsma is certainly a obvious champion.

The concert closed with the third Symphony of Saint Saëns - his so called Organ symphony. I should say upfront that there was something a little rickety about the Organ in the hall but Jonathon Scott played very well. There were with some tiny lags partly due to the machine itself, and also because Scott was looking across the stage to the conductor rather than at the back of the auditorium looking at the conductor in a mirror. It was a very fine performance, beautiful in the slow movements and bullish in the faster parts.  I like this work with big forces, with so many players it made such a glorious sound both in the quiet moments of the slow movement and when it’s needed, with the brass booming out in the climax alongside the Organ.  It was really wonderful to hear the orchestra in full voice.

In the applause after the symphony Storgårds loitered at his podium and Jonathan Scott provided a delicious encore of the Toccata from Widor’s fifth Organ Symphony which was a crowd pleaser even though the instrument looked and sounded like it may buckle under the weight of the music. It was a pretty full Hall and a lot of smiling faces after a very full programme on the tram on the way home very memorable and delicious night of fabulous music very well played, can’t beat it.