Conductor: Valentina Peleggi
Soloist: Elena Urioste
Once again the Orchestra of Opera North has come up with a potent combination of guest artists, each returning for a second visit: one of the rising talents in the conducting world, Italian-born Valentina Peleggi, and the exciting multi-disciplinary violinist from the United States, Elena Urioste. And, ironically, two of the three pieces on the programme were by English composers!
The concert was billed as “Dvorak and Britten”, but in many ways Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis provided a major highlight. Though the piece is a perennial favourite on Classic FM, seeing the three separate groups of string players added a dimension. Apparently the acoustics of Gloucester Cathedral, site of the premiere, were crucial to Vaughan Williams’ conception, but the placing of the third group above and behind, echoing the other two, worked supremely well. Under Peleggi’s meticulous direction the orchestra achieved the full ethereal mystery of the piece, with the dialogue between the leader, Katie Stillman, David Aspin’s viola and Kate Gould’s cello, interlocking into the patterns of the full string orchestra, particularly evocative.
Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto was previously unknown to this reviewer who was surprised to find it so firmly in the Romantic tradition. Britten apparently intended the work, completed in 1939, as a memorial to British volunteers killed in the Spanish Civil War: hence the Spanish rhythms of the opening movement and the haunting final passacaglia, introduced by solemn trombones, saved for this moment. Britten treats the orchestra as far more than an accompaniment and the work is full of orchestral highlights, from the twittering of birdsong from two piccolos and strings in the second movement to the immense theme for full orchestra near the end, leaving only time for the violin’s poignant broken phrases.
Elena Urioste brought as much passion as technique to bear on the concerto, relishing the rhythmic and melodic shifts in the cadenza and the lyricism and boldness of attack in the solo part. And, as an encore, she surprised us all with a beautifully decorated version of Over the Rainbow.
Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony is perhaps stuffed with more great melodies than anything else he wrote, the third movement sounding like one of the gentler Slavonic Dances. Peleggi conducted a spirited performance, with winning contributions from all the woodwind, notably Luke O’Toole’s flute. Perhaps she was over-emphatic, emphasising dynamic contrast and lagging a little in tempo, but all was forgiven in that wonderful final movement, with its whooping horn parts either side of gentle variations for strings and woodwind.
Reviewed on 28th November 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Exhilarating finale!
