Finlandia - Sibelius
Cello Concerto - Lutoslawski
Symphony in D minor - Franck
Lutoslawski's Cello Concerto is one of those pieces which forces one to take notice. As a conceptpiece built around the opposition of soloist and orchestra, it works; and, even if its workings are sometimes obvious, its single-mindedness and accomplished compositional technique make it one of the most effective concertos of the last half-century.
In Friday night's concert at the National Concert Hall the soloist was the Russian cellist Alexander Rudin. His unfailing musicality eclipsed the virtuosity which made the performance so effective and his focused view of the piece seemed to inspire the members of the National Symphony Orchestra. The con ductor's experience and flair helped to instil the confidence which made such unanimity possible.
Antoni Wit has an impressive record as principal conductor of the Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra and likewise from his many appearances with toprank European orchestras. In this concert his command seemed total, not through control as much as through technical security and communication.
In Sibelius's Finlandia and Franck's Symphony in D minor he conducted from memory and with unfailing, sound musicianship.
This symphony needs persuasive performance. Its dense scoring and multi-layered textures are a perilous combination and in this concert came across with a definite sense of what was primary and secondary.
Clarity of texture, range of colour in all sections of the orchestra and discipline with dynamics were some of the reasons. But these had meaning through the conductor's remarkable timing of events, his understanding of what makes this flawed but emphatic symphony tick.
Of the several performances I have heard over the last 25 years or so, this one was by far the most convincing.