Jonathan Dodd shares his review of the latest Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra (IWSO) concert. Images with kind permission of Allan Marsh. Ed
This has been something of a difficult year. All sorts of unpleasantness everywhere, many old certainties showing themselves to be somewhat wobbly, and a lot of weird weather. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that occasionally we long for something solid, dependable, and uplifting.
Sure enough, the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra returned for its 2023-2024 season on Sunday 5th November, and they absolutely didn’t disappoint any of the brave souls who ventured out into the uncertain weather to attend the first concert. And what a concert it turned out to be.
We shall all remember the Fifth of November 2023.
Brigg Fair, by Frederick Delius
As a boy in the last century, I wasn’t exposed to much Classical music, but I remember vividly watching several films about composers, commissioned by the BBC for their Omnibus Arts programme, and directed by Ken Russell. These grainy black and white films made a great impression on me, particularly ‘The Song of Summer’, about Frederick Delius. I don’t remember much about it now, or whether it was accurate, or even whether it was any good. But I was sufficiently intrigued to buy a record by Delius, because I loved the quiet complexity of the music. I could sit and dream to it.
As the orchestra settled and the distinguished conductor Jonathan Butcher walked to the podium, this was all swirling around in my head, and then the first quiet flute notes of Brigg Fair filled the air around me, and took me right back to the first time I heard it. The theme was taken up by the oboe, with the orchestra accompanying them and then there was a lovely horn solo, followed by a dramatic conclusion, with a quiet ending, almost like the sunset bringing an end to a wonderful day in the countryside. I was entranced, and I’ve since listened to it again. This is a lovely piece of music, and the IWSO, particularly the soloists, played it beautifully, and made me very happy. Thank you.
Barber’s Violin Concerto
After Delius, the orchestra rearranged itself for a performance of Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. I am also very familiar with this piece, having acquired a copy of Hilary Hahn playing it on a CD several years ago. I knew nothing about Barber, apart from first hearing his Adagio for Strings in the Vietnam War film Platoon, and being completely astonished by its power and beauty. So I bought the Violin Concerto unheard, and it became a favourite.
It was to be played by a young prodigy named Aki Blendis, who featured in the BBC Young Musician of the Year. He’s not quite 15 years old, and I couldn’t imagine how anyone could play this extraordinary and difficult concerto, let alone at such a young age. But I had no need to worry.
From the first note of the hauntingly strange tripping theme, Mr Blendis was completely at home in front of the orchestra, playing with a confidence and understanding as if he had been doing this for decades. The whole concerto sems to be a meditation on an unknown theme, with a feeling of space and wonder, and no need to be in a hurry. The theme is explored in various ways, and the orchestra, augmented by a piano, illustrates and supports the soloist on his journey. I have heard this music many times, and each time I feel I might be able to find a way to understand, or unlock its mystery, but each time I’m caught up in the beautiful sound of the violin floating like a paper aeroplane above the orchestra’s ocean of sound, and I get completely lost in it.
I’m so grateful to have heard Mr Blendis and the IWSO playing this favourite piece for me, I still can’t find a way to describe it or how I feel about it, but I felt like he gave as good a performance as Hilary Hahn did. I congratulate Mr Blendis, and will look out for him in he future, because I’m sure he has a great career in front of him. And I also congratulate the IWSO for playing magnificently, and for having the foresight to have booked him. It was wonderful.
My Mahler moment
Ah, Gustav Mahler! I have to confess that I’ve never found a key to unlock Mahler’s door. I suppose I’m not alone in this. I have never been prejudiced against him, it’s just that I’ve never been moved by any of his music before. I’ve sat through Death in Venice, and heard several of his works, but they just slid over me. I just thought Mahler wasn’t going to do it for me. But I don’t give up easily, and I was determined to keep trying. After the delightful violin concerto and the break, I settled down to listen to Mahler’s First Symphony, ready for whatever happened. And I can report that something did.
The First Symphony begins with quiet notes and birdsong, very much in the spirit of other masterful composers describing the natural world. I found myself rather enjoying the quiet unhurried music with its occasional cuckoo calls and the gentle notes from the harp, as it slowly built up to a lovely sense of joy and celebration as the orchestra built up to a wonderful and dramatic end to the first movement.
The second movement starts in a jolly cantering fashion, like a lively open-air ride, which abruptly finishes and becomes gentler and softer, before returning to the lively theme, and ending with a thrilling crescendo.
I was taken aback slightly in the third movement, which turned out to be a rather beautiful round of several nursery tunes, writhing in and out of each other, following and diverging in an almost hypnotic way. It was beautiful and disturbing at the same time.
The final movement starts with a tremendous bang, as if a storm strikes suddenly and rages until it subsides, and is followed by more turbulent and violent scenes and short quiet interludes with cuckoo calls reminiscent of the first movement. After great tempestuousness, the whole thing winds up with an extraordinary finale of triumphant positivity, as if the composer has been struggling with a great difficulty and has finally broken through to a new beginning.
I have to say that this symphony was utterly thrilling, and I was completely involved with every movement. I have never seen so many musicians in a concert before, and sometimes it seemed like there were as many musicians as members of the audience. The thing I enjoyed the most was that every member of the orchestra had been looking forward with anticipation and trepidation to playing it, and their faces afterwards were a sea of beaming and happy smiles. It was wonderful to see such a big piece of music played so passionately and with such unity of purpose. What a great evening. I shall remember all three pieces for a long time to come. And I am now a Mahler convert. At least for the First Symphony…
Next concert
The next concert by the IWSO will take place on Saturday 20th January 2024 at 7:15pm at the Medina Theatre.
It promises to be outstanding again, with a guest conductor, James Thomas, and some intriguing works. Prince Igor, by Borodin starts it rolling, followed by A Somerset Rhapsody by Holst, and the Variations on a Rococo Theme by Tchaikovsky, with soloist Finn Mannion. Then there’s Rachmaninov’s First Symphony in D Minor. It should be stupendous, and not to be missed.
Get your tickets a.s.a.p., or even better, buy season tickets. Every little helps, and you’ll always know where your seats are.
See you there!
