Conductor: Hannu Lintu
Combining music from composers who survived the greatest deceased communist regime and with one born under the greatest living one, this evening of music aims to showcase creativity under political oppression, yet its rebellion against musical convention proves to be the strongest feature of the night.
Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s Symphony No. 1 starts off the evening on a hot foot. With harsh strings and crashing cymbals, quite a bit of action is packed into the shortest piece of the night. The energy conveyed is an ideal introduction, presenting a strange blend of panicked disaster with what almost feels at times like comedic timing, leaving one in mind of something along the lines of Dr. Strangelove.
Following this, Tan Dun’s Water Concerto is deservedly the centrepiece of the whole affair. With virtuoso percussionist Colin Currie leading, supported by Karen Hutt and Ignacio Molins, this piece combines a subtle and intelligent use of a unique instrument: water itself. Before each percussionist is a bowl filled with the stuff. Currie gets two, and over the course of almost half an hour all proceed to demonstrate the pure texture and musicality latent in this ubiquitous liquid. A sensory journey as much as anything else, the performance is akin to the modern phenomenon of ASMR.
It’s magical to witness in motion, and things only get more interesting as each percussionist pulls out an assortment of devices that would make Inspector Gadget blush – gongs, bells and waterphones make an appearance along with many others, each interacting uniquely with the water and yet somehow still melding beautifully into the orchestra playing quietly throughout. Currie should be commended in particular for giving a display that verges on the theatrical, in the best way; from his eerie entrance to his disruptive rambling around the orchestra as it plays, it’s impossible to focus one’s eyes and ears anywhere else.
Rounding all this out is Lutosławski’s Symphony No. 3, which provides an engaging if mundane note to conclude things on. While certainly melodic and accomplished, this piece lacks the rapid pace of Pärt or the delightful inventiveness of Dun, making it a strange and perhaps overly tame inclusion that brings the evening to a close with a whimper rather than a bang. It raises questions about the intention of its inclusion and fails to align with what preceded it – regardless, those predecessors easily make the evening a memorable one.
Reviewed on 29 March 2025
