United Kingdom Beethoven, Zemlinsky: Bomsori Kim (violin), Miah Persson (soprano), James Atkinson (baritone), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra / Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor). Metropolis Halls, Glasgow, 24.9.2026. (GT)
Beethoven – Violin Concerto in D main, Op.61
Zemlinsky – Lyric Symphony, Op.18
This live performance within the Thursday Night time Collection opens a season-long commemoration of Beethoven’s demise in 1827. The celebration is a singular collaboration with Scotland’s orchestras: the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Scottish Nationwide Orchestra, exploring all 9 symphonies, the concertos, and different works, and Scottish Opera will stage Fidelio subsequent spring. As all the time, the programmes of this orchestra introduce audiences to music unfamiliar but there are connections with Beethoven, right here largely in that Alexander Zemlinsky epitomised the Vienna of a special world but his humanity was not distant from that of Beethoven.
The night opened with one of many most interesting performances of the Beethoven Violin Concerto that I’ve heard within the live performance corridor. The primary purpose being the younger Korean violinist Bomsori Kim who performs on the 1725 Guarneri del Gesu ‘ex-Moller’. Following the momentous strokes on the timpani, nearly instantly her nearly meditative taking part in was enhanced by a exceptional management of tone and color. The silvery tones that she produced have been fairly astonishing of their easy magnificence and mastery – all of it appeared as if this diminutive violinist was as if from a special planet, in a position to create magic on her instrument. She was accompanied beautifully by the musicians and conductor Ryan Wigglesworth who listened carefully to each be aware. Her first cadenza was fairly exceptional attaining extremely beautiful sounds from the darkly hued tones to mild nearly golden voiced singing. Typically, one forgot concerning the orchestral taking part in, a lot was one was drawn to her virtuosic artistry. It appeared as if her violin was singing this exceptional track of songs within the temper of peace and a glimpse of the humanity envisioned by Beethoven in 1806.
The hymn-like track of the second thought dominated the final passage of the Allegro ma non troppo, and Bomsori’s cadenza was as if a peaceable transfiguration was earlier than us. The Larghetto was lyrical within the strings aided by the horns and the clarinets earlier than the cadenza heralded the transition to the Rondo-Allegro and the vigorous theme from the soloist was joined by the orchestra in jubilant method. Bomsori’s joyful runs on her violin have been beautiful because the concerto ended on a wonderful be aware. After all, the efficiency couldn’t finish with out an encore, and the Korean performed Kreisler’s Schon Rösmarin lastly satisfying the packed corridor and her many compatriots current.
In his early years, the Viennese-born Zemlinsky gained the assist of Brahms, and, like Mahler, needed to ply his musical profession by conducting; but he wrote an enormous variety of works, from chamber items to orchestral and choral works and eight operas. Mahler carried out a number of of Zemlinsky’s symphonies, and his music earned the respect of Schoenberg, who was certainly one of his college students. Stravinsky stated that Zemlinsky’s conducting of The Marriage of Figaro was ‘probably the most satisfying expertise of my life’.
Zemlinsky’s composing suffered compared to his contemporaries; as a author stated, ‘for each good piece of his, there’s a greater one by Mahler or Schoenberg.’ Mahler extremely regarded Zemlinsky, though his friendship with Alma could have dissuaded him. Zemlinsky was however influenced by Mahler, and the Lyric Symphony recollects one of many track cycles: ‘Within the Summer season, I wrote one thing just like the Das Lied von der Erde’. Zemlinsky’s composition, began in the summertime of 1922, not solely used texts from the Far East, but additionally the dialogue between female and male voices and comparable strophic and symphonic constructions. Zemlinsky used Rabindranath Tagore’s assortment of affection songs, The Gardener. As in Mahler’s track cycle, the love of the 2 protagonists is unfulfilled, however in musical expression, Zemlinsky advances past Mahler by abandoning sentiment and providing a farewell to the previous, with longing and unhappiness. He suffered below the Nazis and spent the final years of his life as an exile in New York.
The orchestral rating is stuffed with luscious phrasing, with sharp bursts of thrilling moments that thrill as a lot as any of Mahler’s or Richard Strauss’s most interesting works. Sensuality and colourfully luxurious colors enhance the rating, with the stability towards the often-shrill songs from the baritone and the gorgeous soprano marvellously created. There are a lot of expressionist passages that might be by Berg or Strauss, and the climax is astonishingly lovely.
The opening track ‘Ich bin friedlos’ was wonderful, with the entire orchestra creating splendidly sensual, luxurious melodies. Within the opening track, the strident baritone of James Atkinson set the tone in ‘I’m stressed. I’m athirst for faraway issues’ earlier than the transformation to the uplifting ‘O the eager name of thy flute!’ Within the second track by the soprano Miah Persson, ‘Mutter, der junge Prinz’, the harmonies of the strings have been extra sleek and softly lyrical, with the beautiful woodwind introducing ‘O mom, the younger Prince is to cross by our door’. Right here have been unveiled the feelings of the 2 characters by the transitions between lyricism and excessive stress set towards a foreboding sense of tragedy. Invoking the environment was a reflective solo by the violin of Emre Engin, adopted by a dialogue with the cello of Rudi de Groote that led to a wonderful heavenly passage from Persson in ‘Sprich zu mir, Geliebter’ (‘Converse to me, my love’). The temper was contrasted by the abrupt blast of pleasure from the orchestra, and the temper of enlightenment was lastly extinguished by a crash from the percussion harking of horrible occasions, and a tragic solo from Engin’s violin heralding a track of nice magnificence from Atkinson within the remaining track, ‘Friede, mein Herz’ (‘Peace, my coronary heart, let the time for parting be candy’). Lastly, the superbly carried out orchestral epilogue introduced this piece to a mesmerising shut as Ryan Wigglesworth slowly introduced the ultimate reflective bars of this excellent work to its finale.
This live performance marks an incredible liftoff for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for his or her new season, and one appears to be like ahead to many extra excellent concert events right here within the Metropolis Halls, Glasgow.
Gregor Tassie
