National Concert Hall
Miraculous Mandarin Suite - Bartok
Piano Concerto - Scriabin
La mer - Debussy
Orchestral colour is one of the central aspects of Debussy's La mer. So it was good to hear the NSO and conductor Gunther Herbig take a disciplined approach to orchestral balance and instrumental tone throughout Friday night's concert at the NCH.
Rapport between conductor and orchestra was strong, the musicians were listening as well as watching, and purpose drove every event. Yet there were also occasions where command of the moment and an accented rhythmic style seemed to inhibit the sustained intensity which was possible from playing of this quality. This was especially evident in Bartok's Miraculous Man- darin Suite, which never quite achieved the reckless energy of which it is so capable.
Scriabin's Piano Concerto needs energy of a different kind, so that it unfolds as a spontaneous, romantic fantasy. The soloist, Ian Fountain, had all the control to create this illusion, and enough flamboyance and power for a work written by a virtuoso. Persuasive performance - essential for this engaging but flawed piece - was aided by some of the most co-ordinated work between soloist and orchestra which I have heard from the NSO for some time.
Listening to La mer can be an experience which, for breadth and power, is rivalled by few pieces from the early 20th century. This performance fell just short of that, perhaps because those same qualities which limited the impact of the Bartok here curtailed the accumulation of tension. Nevertheless, the performance was impressive, full of lovingly-crafted detail, firm shaping and vivid colour.