United Kingdom Edinburgh Worldwide Pageant 2023 [7] – Rachmaninov, Shostakovich: Mikhail Pletnev (piano), London Symphony Orchestra / Gianandrea Noseda (conductor). Usher Corridor, Edinburgh, 14.8.2023. (SRT)

Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No.2
Shostakovich – Symphony No.11, The Yr 1905

It isn’t a very good signal when the primary thought going via your head whereas listening to a concerto is Who’s in cost right here? however I couldn’t get that out of my thoughts throughout this Edinburgh Pageant efficiency of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2, principally as a result of pianist Mikhail Pletnev and conductor Gianandrea Noseda couldn’t appear to agree.

The warning indicators set in early. Pletnev took the opening solo chords at a hanging lick, however instantly Noseda slowed issues proper down for the primary string theme, in opposition to which Pletnev appeared continually to be urgent. He constantly appeared out of step with the orchestra for a lot of the concerto; not at all times, however when it occurred it was fairly damaging, corresponding to in plodding all around the beautiful woodwind wind down of the sluggish motion or inducing some very suspicious tempo modifications going from one part of the outer actions to a different. He then launched a lot rubato to the second theme of the finale that it could be well-nigh unimaginable for any conductor to maintain tempo with it. If I didn’t know higher then I might guess Pletnev was taking part in a sport of cat-and-mouse with Noseda, daring him to maintain step with him, and Noseda solely actually appeared comfy with the passages the place both the piano wasn’t taking part in or the orchestra might drown him out. It took them ages to come back onstage for his or her second bow: they might properly have been arguing over which ones had bought the tempo proper.

That was a disgrace for many causes, not least the truth that the London Symphony Orchestra’s orchestral tone was completely terrific for the concerto. They summoned an enormous, full-fat string sound for the sweeping unison opening theme, and a beautiful rhapsodic opening of the sluggish motion. And with Pletnev safely out of the best way, they had been on nice kind when let unfastened on Shostakovich’s Symphony No.11. It’s typically stated that that is Shostakovich’s most filmic symphony, however right here it sounded extra like a collage, with Noseda laying down the completely different elements of the soundscape in a method that rendered them very distinct: icy strings, muted fanfares and drumroll, every of the revolutionary songs … all of them appeared to exist in vibrant isolation earlier than being drawn collectively as a complete. That utilized to showpiece particular person sections, too, such because the dusky violas and baleful horns of the third motion, and the angrily swirling strings of the second.

Noseda constructed a rising sense of gathering doom via the primary two actions, centring on the assault scene which he paced slowly, virtually majestically, thus dialling down the thrill and dialling up the horror. I wasn’t fairly as eager on his finale, the place the soul-heavy cor anglais solo was much more arresting than the last word rebellion scene. Nonetheless, he understood the massive, unfolding canvas properly, and didn’t attempt to impose an excessive amount of unity on it when the collage method labored higher.

Then there may be the occupational hazard at live performance like this: the berk at the back of the stalls who is decided to be the primary to shout bravo, even whereas the music continues to be hanging in mid-air. The LSO are in Edinburgh for 4 concert events this week. I hope they don’t all have their closing spell damaged like this one’s!

Simon Thompson

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