Review of Welsh National Opera Orchestra, St. David’s Hall Cardiff, Friday 26th April 2013

Welsh National Opera Orchestra, St. David’s Hall Cardiff,  Friday 26th April 2013

 

The W.N.O. deserves its reputation as one of the finest orchestras in the U.K. and Friday night’s performance proved why it is rated so highly.

 

The programme consisted of a celebration of the 200th anniversary of Wagner’s birth and the 100th anniversary of the Paris Premiere of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

 

The first piece was Wagner’s Prelude to Parsifal, a mysterious knight who has no idea of who he is or of his origins.  After killing a swan, a sinful deed in a mythical kingdom, he is made to feel remorse and later fear, two emotions he has never experienced.  The story tells of Parsifal’s quest for redemption by searching for two Holy Relics, the spear, which pierced Jesus’ side, and the cup from which He drank on the cross.

 

The music evokes this mythical world with a first, haunting viola melody followed by a more spiritual, sacred theme from the woodwind and brass sections.  The orchestra transported the audience through this mythical kingdom by a combination of ethereal violins and noble brass giving a lofty, otherworldy setting.  Conductor, Lothar Koenigs brought a sustained almost magisterial emotion to the piece reflected in the audience’s rapt silence at the very end before the appreciative applause.

 

The second piece Gotterdammerung Excerpts, looks back on the whole cycle of Wagner’s Ring tetralogy. This piece requires enormous orchestration and we watched as the additional members of the orchestra took their places, among them two harpists and four Wagner tuba players.  This particular instrument was specially invented by Wagner for his operas.

 

The music depicts the death of the hero Siegfried, the self-sacrifice of Bruunhilde, the destruction of Valhalla and the overflowing of the Rhine.  Wagner intended the culmination of a lengthy, musical journey.

 

For me, the music was an exciting frenzy from the gradual beats of the timpani introducing the tubas taking up the melody to the orchestra building to a tremendous peak of sound.  We were taken on a journey of emotions here, the string section coping superbly with fast and difficult musical phrasing.  The harp players’ fingers were flying across the strings when suddenly the melody became unexpectedly gentle.  No allowing for relaxation here though as the percussion and timpani led us onwards and upwards to a fast and furious finale, the audience’s applause taking up after the final beat

 

The final piece was Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in two parts: The Adoration of the Earth and A Sacrificial Dance.

 

On a personal level I have never been a fan of Stravinsky.  I know that he felt his music was autonomous rather than referential and I find this aspect difficult to comprehend.  So how was I going to cope with this piece?  I listened with an open mind.

 

There is no doubt that this music, which caused riots in Paris at its premiere, still has the power to shock and excite today.  After the conventions of earlier music, to hear these discordant chords and clusters of harmony must, in Stravinsky’s time, have been as shocking as Punk music to Pop fans.

 

Stravinsky wants us to feel the sensations that all things experience when Nature renews.

 

The first part, Adoration of the Earth, proved thrilling.  This is no easy piece to play but Lother Koenigs’ energy and obvious love of the music were infectious.  I was bowled over by the strength and speed of the sections and could not take my eyes off the timpani.  This was heady stuff, full of drama and conflict, a roller coaster ride.  I loved it.

 

The second part, A Sacrificial Dance, had the same fervour and energy, but did not hold me as much as the first part.  I loved the violin section with the plucking of the strings but still had a fascination with the percussion and timpani sections.

 

So have I been converted to Stravinsky?  Well yes and no would be my answer.  Yes, if I could watch an orchestra playing live as the whole thing is such a visual experience with such energy exuding from the players.  Could I listen to it on C.D?  I’m not sure I would enjoy it as much. Give me the W.N.O. anytime.  This concert was amazing. A real treat.  Do try and catch the W.N.O. when you can.

 

My award to best section of the night?  Well it has to go to the Timpani.  They were sensational.

Elizabeth Sumner

 

 

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Comment by Guy O'Donnell on April 29, 2013 at 2:59

Great first review Elizabeth.

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