12th August 2014
Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom
MAXWELL DAVIES Caroline Mathilde – suite from Act 2
WALTON Violin Concerto
SIBELIUS The Swan of Tuonela
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5
Mary Bevan (soprano)
Kitty Whately (mezzo-soprano)
James Ehnes (violin)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Thomas Søndergård (conductor)
How merciless can a composer be to his soloist in a concerto? Well, it might be Heifetz but the Walton "Violin Concerto" is a fiendish masterpiece that calls upon every virtuosic technique of the soloist. This man, James Ehnes, gave a meticulous and assured performance, which caused even the sky to applaud for him in the form of heavy rain in the second movement. On the other hand, there is something gravitational about Sibelius 5, which draws one in and engulfs the listener in a quiet storm of latent joy. It reminded me of the lucky opportunity to visit Ainola a few years ago where I got to see Sibelius' residence in both rain and shine. The last movement is particularly moving. The Maxwell Davies was not as unbearable as I anticipated, but it did go on for a but in a slow march.
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