STEVEN
ISSERLIS PLAYS SHOSTAKOVICH
Singapore
Symphony Orchestra
Esplanade
Concert Hall
Thursday
(30 April 2015)
This review was published in The Straits Times on 2 May 2015 with the title "A cellist's glitz and glamour".
This Singapore Symphony Orchestra season
has seen its share of Gala Concerts featuring celebrity soloists and with
ticket prices to match. Although the renowned British cellist Steven Isserlis
was not accorded Gala status, his appearance in Shostakovich's First Cello
Concerto had every bit of glitz and glamour. It could be said that the
capacity house, evidenced by long lines at the box office, had been well
served.
Shostakovich's more popular of two cello
concertos is now firmly established among the greats of 20th century
concerto repertoire. No one should claim to fear its modernisms or dissonances
because of the Russian composer's unambiguous use of tonality and much-employed
wit. The four-note motif that is the foundation of its opening movement was
trenchantly stated by Isserlis, and echoed by Principal Hornist Han Chang
Chou's excellent solos.
In the rapidfire cut and thrust of the
work, both soloist and orchestra were timed to perfection under Music Director
Shui Lan's direction. As Isserlis' bow grittily dug into his cello's strings,
bringing out the rawness of the music's Socialist Realist statement, the
orchestra responded in kind with a mocking sarcasm that was totally apt. There
was tenderness in the lightly-scored slow movement, but the song of Isserlis
was more of a lament, tinged with sorrow and bitterness.
The orchestra fell silent for the extended
cadenza that followed, and one could hear a pin drop. Unfortunately Isserlis's
plaint had the unwanted intrusion of audible voices emanating from an usher's
earpiece. Why were people even talking when the music is taking place? This is
one area which Esplanade as a premier concert venue needs to address: either
silence the earpiece, remove the oblivious usher, or both.
The cadenza was a crescendo that built up
to an impassioned head of steam, launching into the burlesque of the finale.
Here both cello and orchestra jostled for supremacy in a grotesque tug-of-war
before the bold restatement of the first movement's motif, now delivered with a
crushing finality. With typical irony, Isserlis jested about playing something
“energetic”, and Prokofiev's naively optimistic March For Children made
for a delightful encore.
The second half belonged to Tchaikovsky's
Sixth Symphony, better known as his “Pathetique”. This nickname
does not refer to the common use of the word “pathetic”, but rather the state
of inducing pathos, often equated with tragedy. In that sense, this concert had
two mirroring works of great pathos. The raucous rawness of Shostakovich was a
foil for the svelte, fatal elegance of Tchaikovsky.
Overstatement could either enhance or
undermine Tchaikovsky's message, so conductor Shui's approach kept mostly (and safely) to the middle of the
road. His tempos were on a brisk side and thus could not be accused of
wallowing in self-pity. One waited for the catharsis but it did not always
appear when expected. There was a manic edge to the first movement's fugato
which did not disappoint, balanced by the bittersweet waltz of the second
movement.
The rumble-tumble Scherzo was rowdily
impressive, and credit to this audience for not wildly applauding as if the
work had ended with it. This was merely the prelude to the finale's veil of
tears, which rose to an anguished high before descending into a bottomless
abyss. This last bit showed the orchestra's maturity as it plumbed the depths,
diminishing in volume with such nuanced finesse to absolute silence.
Tchaikovsky had predicted his own death with this, and that eventuality came
one week after the work's premiere.
There was a long and precious moment of
total quiet before the eruption of applause. This audience, more sophisticated
than the usual gala crowd, had understood its message unequivocally. That was a
sure sign that listeners too can contribute to the success of a concert.
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| Post concert: Steven Isserlis meets with Qin Li-Wei and discusses finer points of Shostakovich, as well as mugs for the camera with Jeong Ae Ree & Chan Wei Shing. |
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