Nicole Cabell (Credit: Devon Cass)
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This was by some way the most baffling Prom of the season so far, its
promise of pomp, circumstance and humour never quite hitting the mark,
despite the odd memorable cameo. Top of the bill, or rather tucked in after the interval, was the world
premiere of Anthony Payne's completion of a sixth Pomp and
Circumstance march, in effect his 'Opus 3' of Elgar arrangements.It
made a mostly satisfying whole, with a skilful juxtaposition of double and
triple time.But when the slower theme appeared the first time round, it was
quickly despatched and felt like an idea Elgar would not have used beyond
sketches.
Burton's orchestration was odd in places, with a strange affliction for
the bell tree, though a finale in the major key rounded off the piece
appropriately if not fully convincingly, making its case to be a possible
extension to the cycle of five rather shaky.
Placing Andrew Davis' orchestration of Bach's Passacaglia after this was
a strange move, its solemnity totally at odds with the mood of the Elgar.
That said Davis conducted an interesting performance, and from the opening
statement on staccato piano and woodwind the orchestration was economical
and sensitive.
Most impressive, however, was soprano Nicole Cabell, winner of
last year's BBC Singer of the World competition. Britten's Les
Illuminations has been part of her repertoire for a while now, and her
full, rounded tones were perfectly suited to this sultry music, carried
effortlessly above Andrew Davis's sensitive string accompaniment. The
magical descent with which she ended Phase was worth admission
alone, her projection to the audience exemplary.
Bookending the programme were youthful works of Soviet origin,
traditional in form but impish in nature. To open, an account of
Prokofiev's 'Classical' symphony that had routine charm and the occasional
touch of humour, but whose violin ensemble was at times rather sketchy.
To finish, a bizarre performance of Shostakovich's showpiece, the Concerto for Piano, Trumpet & Strings
(Piano Concerto No. 1). As
expected Evgeny Kissin's technique was formidable, but his
performance was peppered with strange note emphases and other
interpretative quirks, usually at the expense of trumpeter Sergei
Nakariakov.
After a wonderful slow movement where his instrument almost took on the
persona of a cor anglais, Nakariakov seemed strangely uninvolved in the
finale, his head barely rising to play, while Kissin continued with all
manner of outrageous crashes and tempo adjustments. Given the nature of the
piece these were not inappropriate, but were still done with little or no
humour until close to the end, by which time the trumpet had been relegated
to also-ran rather than partner-in-crime. This was a shame, as Nakariakov
played beautifully, but was further emphasised by Kissin's decision to give
his own encore, a larger-than-life March from Prokofiev's Love for Three
Oranges.
On the plus side, it was an adventurous programme that recalled the spirit of
the Proms fifty years ago, even if its execution was wildly
unpredictable!
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