Listen hard and there was the quiet rustling of a fresh page being turned at Lighthouse, Poole on Wednesday as a new Chief Conductor came to his place in front of the BSO. Of course, Mark Wigglesworth is already well known here in the south and west, but this was his first appearance in this role.
Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth conducts Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (C) Mark Allan
I do not know if his programme was chosen specifically to announce his arrival by blowing the socks off the audience, but that was what this concert did, with a trio of full-blooded and majestic performances of big-scale works given the no-holds-barred BSO treatment.
As a highly regarded Wagner conductor, Mr Wigglesworth opened the concert with the overture to The Mastersingers of Nuremberg – an excellent opportunity to show his connection with the players. There was plenty of lyrical beauty as well as grandeur in this overture to what will surely be an exciting tenure.
Here in Wessex, we are perfectly accustomed to brilliant and diverse soloists, and Nicholas McCarthy fits both categories. Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand is a demanding piece for all, but the jazzy brio of this performance was totally captivating. The single movement grew from its subterranean opening into ravishing romantic sections which sounded very French and into the jazz-march allegro central climax which just seemed like a lot of fun to play. The soloist’s virtuosity was astonishing. He movingly introduced his encore – Scriabin’s Nocturne for the left hand – by describing his piano hero Paul Wittgenstein’s appearances with this orchestra in the past.
Pianist Nicholas McCarthy with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (C) BSO
Walton’s First Symphony, dating from pretty much the same period in the 1930s as the Ravel Concerto, is a titanic work which encompasses so much in just over forty minutes that it leaves the listener exhausted. The lively rhythmic drive in this performance was on display in the first movement and continued into the “malicious” scherzo. For me, the beauty of the “melancholy” slow movement was almost overpowering, with the especially impressive woodwind section leading the whole orchestra in exquisite phrasing and sophisticated sound.
After such emotional distress, the joyful finale built to a peroration which called forth not just a sense of thrill and triumph, but also a blaze of applause. The closing chords, hammered out in announcement of the new musical era here, concluded a memorable evening.
To see and hear for yourself you can catch up on the concert until 21 December.
Reviews were also recieved from:
Bournemouth Echo: “a dazzling, breathtaking performance”
The Daily Telegraph: “A fine, fierce debut”
The Guardian: “…an impressive, auspicious start”
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