United Kingdom Pejačević, Dvořák, Suk, Janáček: James Ehnes (violin), Philharmonia / Kevin John Edusei (conductor). Royal Competition Corridor, London, 29.10.2026. (CK)
Dora Pejačević – Overture for Massive Orchestra
Dvořák – Violin Concerto
Suk – Scherzo Fantastique
Janáček – Sinfonietta
Having been very struck – and moved – by Pejačević’s Symphony in F-sharp minor on the 2023 Proms, carried out by the BBC Symphony Orchestra below Sakari Oramo, I used to be greater than curious to listen to her Overture for Massive Orchestra, the one non-Czech music on this Philharmonia programme. Pejačević’s story is so compelling that one desires to get pleasure from her music: and though this six-minute piece is slighter fare, I did. There may be an engagingly lyrical impulse which is pitted towards uneven rhythms and brass interjections, and a person ear for color: shiny, keen-edged, engaging music, solely her personal. In Kevin John Edusei and the Philharmonia’s arms it sounded dew-fresh and bracing. As with the Czech Vítĕzslava Kaprálová – whose music we’re attending to know and love – we can’t assist questioning concerning the music these women’ early deaths disadvantaged us of.
Dvořák’s is amongst my three favorite violin concertos (I do know, there are larger concertos, however I can’t resist Dvořák’s). Though it had a tough delivery – Dvořák was offended by Joachim’s advised ‘enhancements’, Joachim by no means performed it – you’d by no means guess this from the music: regardless of the strict and purposeful opening, and the soloist’s response tinged with a wistful unhappiness, the composer’s pure buoyancy and freedom of invention predominate. James Ehnes performed it superbly, along with his trademark purity and readability of tone, the Philharmonia’s accompaniment flowing as naturally as a river. Within the gradual motion – following with no break – Ehnes’s enjoying had each an infinitely touching, hymn-like sincerity and an ethereal fantasy, complemented by the stunning enjoying of the woodwind and horns. As he launched the furiant finale with elfin lightness it was laborious to not stand up and dance.
Earlier than his Bach encore Ehnes instructed us that he was enjoying an Antonio Stradivari violin made in 1715 and often cited as Stradivari’s best. An amazing violin wants an ideal participant: the gentleman sitting subsequent to me – a good friend of Ehnes, it transpired – mentioned that one cause his method is so rock-solid is that his bow is held completely and invariably straight.
One mustn’t bask in nostalgia, however the second half of this live performance replicated that of a live performance within the Royal Competition Corridor in 1994 that lives in my reminiscence: it was given by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra. Josef Suk’s Scherzo Fantastique, then unknown to me, fully captivated me; and to listen to Janáček’s Sinfonietta performed by musicians from his dwelling city (from the age of 11) was inevitably shifting.
Right here, Suk’s piece got here up polished like a brand new pin: perky woodwind main, the cellos easing into their pretty melody earlier than handing it to the violins, the music pursuing its pleasantly boisterous means. The slower central part had an virtually visionary magnificence – the flute trilling like an ecstatic chook, bodiless delicacy from high-lying violins and harp, burnished horns – earlier than the cellos’ unexpectedly ecclesiastical, ancient-sounding tones acted as a bridge to the returning Scherzo music. It was a pristine efficiency, formed and contoured by Edusei with love.
And so to the Sinfonietta, the 13 standing bandsmen (a few of them trying very younger) ranged alongside the entrance of the choir to ship the opening fanfares; the orchestra coming into play within the second motion – some comfortable and shining trumpets right here, and a vigorous harp. The central motion, Moderato, was extraordinary: veiled strings underpinned by a tuba like a distant foghorn, menacing trombones, banshee howls from flutes and piccolo, horns yelping like a pack of hounds, and people brutal hammering chords sounding just like the work’s darkish coronary heart. I’ve by no means heard this motion sound so harmful.
Within the finale, too, Edusei and the Philharmonia actually pointed up the outlandishness of Janáček’s writing – notably for the woodwind (piercing E-flat clarinet and piccolo, chirruping flutes) within the build-up to the triumphant return of the opening fanfares: their arrival, supported now by the entire orchestra, was each stunning and thrilling, enhanced by the whipcrack pounding of the timpani.
I’ve not encountered the German conductor Kevin John Edusei earlier than; his type appears to mix class and precision, and a capability to create area for each element to register with out shedding stress or course. It’s a whereas since I’ve heard orchestral enjoying as recent as this.
Chris Kettle
