BEETHOVEN’S
“Triple Concerto” is the only piece in the classical repertoire for the combination
of instruments specified. The “Triple” refers to the three solo instruments -
piano, violin and cello - and the concerto format therefore includes a full
symphony orchestra as support. A unique work in the history of music, but oddly
neglected both in live performance and on record.
The
concerto was brought to the attention of the modern listening public through
the 1970 release by EMI of a recording featuring David Oistrakh on violin,
Mstislav Rostropovich on cello, Sviatoslav Richter on piano with the Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan. What a cast!
Interestingly,
controversial classical music author and commentator Norman Lebrecht, rates
this recording as No. 2 in his essay “Madness: Twenty Recordings that
Should Never Have Been Made”. Really? The reason he cites is that no
artistic unity could have been possible from the four great musicians due to
their reported constant squabbling and heated debates over the interpretation
of the piece.
It went
on to become one of the top selling international classical music releases for
1970 and 1971 and is still sought after in various reissued formats both on LP,
CD and most recently as an MQA download from streaming services.
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| Julian Smiles and Dimity Hall |
Now to
the performance in Canberra featuring Dimity Hall on violin, Julian Smiles on
cello, Piers Lane on piano, with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra conducted by
Nicholas Milton AM. Milton began with light, whispering phrases from the double
basses and cellos, barely discernible over air-conditioning and breathing. And
then the dynamics lifted to a grandiose introduction before the three soloists
burst forth with a flourish. Yes we have arrived! Balance between the three was
excellent and the trio format worked as though they were only that, without an
orchestra. It was very closely aligned to the balance required for something
like the “Archduke Trio”, another Beethoven masterpiece. The interpretation of
piano trio with orchestra, as opposed to three soloists with orchestra worked
brilliantly and served to highlight the real point of the piece. The three
soloists must work as a union.
Having
said that, the opening of the slow movement is scored as a violin concerto, and
Dimity Hall made the most of the exquisite violin solo opening, later joined by
the piano and cello, again forming a homogeneous unity. Each of the three solo
instruments however are all given opportunities to shine through as individuals
at various points during this work and this is something that is open to
interoperation from the players themselves. In this case, Hall, Smiles and Lane
all brought out lines and phrases of beauty and imagination whilst supported by
sensitive interplay from the other two soloists. The orchestral interludes in
this piece are just that. Most of the solo playing is done just as a trio
format.
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| Pianist Piers Lane |
It was wonderful to hear this neglected work given new life and the result was world class playing followed by richly deserved applause from the enthused audience.
Sir
Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” are one of the most popular pieces in both
the recorded and live performance repertoire, not only for their ever-changing
melodic and rhythmic beauty, but also because of the fascinating and mysterious
story behind their creation and the ongoing speculation about the original
theme upon which the variations are based as well as the people represented in
each movement. It is a series of character portraits, each variation depicting
one of Elgar’s family members or friends.
Elgar
took the mystery of the theme to his grave, this conversation having been
frustratingly diarised by his friend Troyte Griffith in 1923:
“Can I
have one guess? Is it ‘God Save the King’?”
“No of
course not! But it is so well known that it is extraordinary that no one has
spotted it.”
“It” -
yes we always spoke of the hidden matter as “it”, never as tune or theme.
On an
earlier occasion, Elgar asked me, “Haven’t you guessed it yet? Try again!”
“Are you
quite sure I know it?” “Quite!”
And on a
final occasion, “Well, I’m surprised. I thought you of all people would guess
it.”
“Why me
of all people?”
“Ahh -
that’s asking too may questions!”
Nicholas
Milton took the opening measures of the theme at a very slow pace, just a
pulse, almost as if a rusty squeeze-box being coaxed into life. As the embers
started glowing a little more brightly, we could hear the semblance of a
melody, or perhaps it is a counter-melody, taking form. This is all part of
both the allure and the illusion that Elgar wants to put across. Mystery, a
little confusion, not sure what’s happening next. Perfect.
The
orchestra was actually able to capture a slightly different sonic mood for each
of the variations, which is way more than is often heard. It’s one thing to play
music as directed on the page, even to follow the tempos and phrasing of the
conductor. But to capture the essence of each variation, actually depicting
real people, with tone production, tone colour and intonation requires great
skill, sensitivity and musical understanding. The Canberra Symphony Orchestra
did this marvellously well.
During
“Nimrod”, which is the ninth variation in the piece, I saw people around me
visibly moved by the beauty and majesty of the performance. It is the most
famous part of the entire work and has of course been used in everything from
Monty Python through to many film scores, TV commercials, awards ceremonies and
more. Most recently, Nimrod was used to stunning but veiled effect during the
final scenes of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, played at a quarter pace at
first and then at half pace. It is a unique piece in that it can equally
reflect sadness, defiance, joy and pride. One of Sir Edward Elgar’s crowning
achievements and something that stands proudly amongst the best British
contributions to the arts world.
