Encore, Encore

We’ve just finished the first concert of the Tour, to a small sigh of relief by all. Firsts are always hard, even more so in a major venue (the Barbican) in a big center of the arts (London). The audiences were certainly appreciative (as was our first review), and after several curtain calls, both our soloist Joshua Bell (on the first half) and the Orchestra itself (in the second) presented encores.

Josh pulled out a novelty by Vieuxtemps; Souvenir d’Amerique, a set of variations on “Yankee Doodle” (he described it to the British audience as a “tune from the Revolutionary War – sorry about that, by the way…”, to much laughter). It’s a fun piece of fluff, impressively played, carrying some of the virtuosic feel over from the last movement of the Barber Concerto (albeit in a very different musical idiom). The audience had already been stirred up by the Concerto, and it made sense to keep up that level of energy.

Osmo was brought back onstage several times after the “Eroica” in the second half, and after his third trip to the podium he turned back to the Orchestra and quickly launched into one of two encores brought on tour, Sibelius’s “Valse Triste”. Those of you who have heard Osmo and the Orchestra perform Beethoven (or have heard it on the highly-regarded recording) know that there is an angularity and forcefulness to it that is very particular to this combination of conductor and orchestra – there is nothing sentimental about it. It’s not to say that it’s not passionate music-making; there is just a directness in the vitality that infuses the performance that keeps it from becoming overemotional.

The Sibelius encore, however, is a very sentimental piece; there’s a heart-breaking quality about it, with its reflections of ghostly memories. It’s one of those heart-on-sleeve pieces (or as much as a Finn would wear his heart on his sleeve!) where the emotional content is immediately evident. It also calls for a smaller orchestra and has a smaller-scale quality about it that also stood in stark contrast to the Beethoven. The effect was to take the audience on a rapid mood swing that led to a completely different place at the end of the concert.

I rather liked the effect of ending something so structured and of an easily-identified musical idiom and finishing the evening with this deeply moving wisp of Sibelius with it’s 3 quiet "chimes" (played by four solo violins) at the end. If nothing else, it gave a glimpse of a completely different side of both the Orchestra and Osmo.

I’m writing this post during a short plane ride from London to Berlin, where we’ll land, head to the hotel, grab a bite and then head to the Philharmonie for an 8 pm performance. Tomorrow: Cologne.