Review: Northern Lights Orchestra

Northern Lights - an evening of dazzling classical music at the Hall for Cornwall
Written by: Alex Dunkley

Image Credit: Hugh Hastings

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra have long been the adopted professional orchestra of Cornwall and so it was no surprise that the Hall for Cornwall was full for their Northern Lights Concert on Friday (Feb 21).

Author Petroc Trelawney introduced them and spoke with huge passion about how proud he is to represent the Hall and to witness such rich programmes of wonderful classical music.

We were served a well-balanced programme that drew us in from the start, with a contemplative, almost mournful string piece by Peteris Vasks. As the piece began, there was a collective in-breath from the audience, the musicians guided gently by the hands of conductor Gergely Madaras bringing the violins in with their glistening high harmonics.

The audience was lulled into embracing the sounds of the composer’s Latvian landscapes and given ethereal audible glimpses of the Northern Lights, as the string lines wove together in a beautiful yet transparent dialogue.

The piece presented a similar feeling to Barber’s Adagio for Strings but with a little more urgency and an undertow of tension and unrest within the soulful string lines. It was a magnificent start to a broad-reaching programme and a chance to really show off the BSO String section.

There were no surprises musically with the very well-known Grieg Piano Concerto but it certainly delivered the wow factor with not a single note missed by the masterful Louis Schwizgebel. 

Playing what is widely thought of as the most nerve-wracking opening to a concerto, Schwizgebel struck the chords with clarity and passion leaving the audience confident they were in good hands. His dexterity and clear attack of the piece became even more apparent in his cadenza in which he showed us his huge skill and musicality.

Image Credit: Hugh Hastings

The concerto, written with full orchestra accompaniment, really takes the listener into the world of Nordic folk tunes, with glimpses in the last movement of poetic woodwind writing through to the melodic cello tune. Mention too must be made of the exquisite solo horn playing in the second movement.

The brass section also delivered great punch with the well-known hunting theme alongside the classy tutti string playing. Schwizgebel truly gave us a performance to remember and was rewarded by rousing applause and cheering.

After the interval we were instantly back into the vastness of a northern landscape with Sibelius’ First Symphony. With the piano moved out of the way, the entire orchestra was visible and we could enjoy the haunting opening of the solo clarinet above the single timpani roll.

The horn section shone again here as they lifted the mood of the movement above the stirring string lines. The movement has the feel of early film music with the harp providing wintery soundscapes that evoke the cold of Finland. Madaras provided us with dynamic conducting, lifting onto his toes at various points to fully engage with the orchestra’s energy.

The second movement is sonorously expressive and we heard the lilting, almost sobbing string motif across the stage between violins and the cellos and basses. Again, the string section gave us full-bodied and heartfelt melodies in this movement, filling the theatre with their sound. Which is not to forget the brass and wind sections of the BSO who delivered highly skilled and musical performances. As we moved into the third movement the skill of this orchestra and their conductor was felt as they held the more complicated entries to perfection.

Image Credit: Hugh Hastings

The last movement brings us back to the haunting opening melody but this time as a full orchestra, with much movement in the string section including brilliant double bass playing. This final movement was emotional and hinted at hopefulness in the melodies, whilst keeping us held in the bigger more expansive questions that had gone before.

This was a truly memorable concert which gave us time out of our busy lives to immerse ourselves in a sound world of Nordic themes by painting huge musical pictures of the vast northern landscapes. The BSO performed at the top of their game and we look forward to seeing them again at the Hall for Cornwall in September when they return.