Review: CBSO by Major Thirds, Michael Seal at the Symphony Hall

Oct 26 2009 By John Gough

After all the excitement of high profile visitors and exotic repertoire in recent CBSO concerts this afternoon event featured a programme that might have looked a bread and butter affair, but not a bit of it. When standard works are recreated with care and excitement in performances such as these, we are reminded of what made us love them in the first place.

Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony was riveting. In the mysterious introduction, the string phrases rose and fell with generous room for breath between. The ensuing Allegro agitato was true to its word, the storms splendidly tempestuous. The scherzo’s Assai vivace marking was taken literally, too, skirling away at impressive speed. The slow movement was as lovingly contoured as the galop of the finale was tautly controlled, the chugging horns underpinning the elfin brilliance of woodwind and strings.

In Mozart’s third violin concerto, the young British violinist Jack Liebeck was alert to every nuance of rhythm and phrasing. He gave the courtly gestures a sweet toned chamber delivery, and his finely shaded playing and precise intonation was a joy to hear. So too the introspective poise of the second movement before the bucolic high jinks of the finale.

Michael Seal is well aware of the dynamic contrasts this hall makes possible, and he made the most of them in Beethoven’s Leonora No. 3 in a performance of strength and power. Full of forward thrust and momentum, this was taken at a blistering pace with the concluding section particularly exciting, with terrific ensemble and attack in the string scales.

I can’t think of a better way to spend a grey and wet afternoon than sitting in Symphony Hall being warmed by playing of this calibre.