Nutcracker Suite (excs)

Rococo Variations

Capriccio Italien - Tchaikovsky

This year's season of Tuesday-lunchtime orchestral concerts at the National Concert Hall began with an all-Tchaikovsky programme.

The National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Colman Pearce did fairly well with the orchestral part of the Rococo Variations. Ensemble within the orchestral part was sometimes ragged; but it was generally good with the cello soloist. Annette Cleary's shapely and strongly projected playing dictated the character of this performance; and unlike many works for orchestra and soloist, this piece can thrive under those conditions.

Like many modern contemporary string players, Annette Cleary had a persistent and strong vibrato. Paradoxically, this limits tone and expression. Those places in the slow variations which were non-vibrato hinted at what might have been achieved.

One of the most striking aspects of this concert was how successful the Rococo Variations was compared with the five movements from the Nutcracker Suite which opened the programme. In the slower items of the suite speeds were too fast, important detail was trivialised, and the poise needed for this dance music was absent.

Like most of the concert, the Capriccio Italien was inclined to insufficient gradation between extremes of volume. But the performance was well-timed and had an edge-of-the-cliff intensity which suits this almost-vulgar, exhilarating music.