United Kingdom Edinburgh Worldwide Competition [4] – Weber, Fanny Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn: Daniel Lozakovich (violin), Budapest Competition Orchestra / Iván Fischer (conductor), Usher Corridor, Edinburgh, 10.8.2023. (SRT)

Weber – Der Freischütz Overture
Fanny Mendelssohn – ‘Schnell fliehen die Schatten der Nacht’ from Gartenlieder
Felix Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto; Symphony No.3 ‘Scottish’

The Budapest Competition Orchestra’s residency on the Edinburgh Worldwide Competition has been nothing if not eventful. The primary evening noticed the viewers lounging on beanbags unfold among the many orchestra whereas they performed Dvořák’s Symphony No.8, whereas the second noticed a showcase of homegrown Hungarian masterworks alongside Sir András Schiff on the piano. On paper this last live performance, a quartet of nineteenth-century European masterworks, appears like essentially the most standard of all of them.

Usually, conductor Iván Fischer had just a few issues up his sleeve to carry it above the extent of standard, however a few of them labored higher than others. The ultimate pages of Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony soured what had been, as much as then, a primary charge efficiency. The primary two actions had been stuffed with swirling power and effervescent color, whereas the Adagio had sombre grandeur and the finale had the crack of outside power to it. As the ultimate, triumphal coda started, nevertheless, Fischer bought every part to face up in flip, as if to underline the truth that issues had been coming to a head. Nothing improper with that per se, however it didn’t make the darndest little bit of distinction to their taking part in, and half of the violas appeared to overlook that it was their flip. Even the cellos and timpanist had been standing by the tip in what was, bluntly, little greater than a gimmick.

Nor did I heat to the Fanny Mendelssohn music, which the orchestral musicians sang unaccompanied. It is just two verses so didn’t maintain issues up for too lengthy, however these musicians are much better gamers than singers, so why waste their time on this when there’s loads of instrumental music by Fanny that they might have performed as a substitute? Is it to underline the purpose that they sing in addition to play, by which case: so what?!

And, on the danger of sounding like a complete grump, their alternative of soloist for Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto was not successful. The terrifyingly young-looking Daniel Lozakovich has considerable ability to play Mendelssohn’s concerto, however his type lags approach behind his method. His strategy was timid and withdrawn all through in order that, even within the first motion, the violin was by no means on the centre of the image the best way it must be. Through the sluggish motion his sound all however disappeared into the orchestra’s, and all through the finale his taking part in was like someone driving with the handbrake on. There are buckets of potential there, however he wants to find extra of his personal voice slightly than merely to play by the notes.

It was left to the orchestra to steal the honours, with muscular taking part in within the outer actions, and even within the minor key part of the sluggish motion. They sounded even finer in Weber’s Der Freischütz Overture, with a terrific shudder on the strings for the minor key sections and a really quiet shading down earlier than the coda, which made the ultimate C main explosion sound a lot extra thrilling. Fischer started the piece with the 4 horns positioned in antiphonal pairs within the organ gallery, giving an additional fringe of house and breath to their opening searching name. That labored brilliantly, a good suggestion that carried no hint of a gimmick.

Simon Thompson

The Edinburgh Worldwide Competition runs at venues throughout the town till Sunday twenty seventh August click on right here for particulars.