There are concerts that surprise you, that you just can’t get out of your mind. Last night’s Bach inspired concert in Enschede, with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta under the direction of Tomo Kellers featuring Håkan Hardenberger and the young Swedish soprano Johanna Wallroth, was one such concert.
The lights went down, and we were enveloped in a remarkably warm sound from the cavernous stage that is the Wilminktheater.
It was joyful to hear Baroque music, the Telemann Trumpet Concerto in D, played on modern instruments by musicians who were more than able to evoke the features of an accepted Baroque style. Hardenberger’s fabulously piercing top notes and beautifully clean tone left the audience eager for more.
Bernhard’s Krol’s Magnificat Variaties for trumpet and strings, a work inspired by J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, is a very attractive work and one which allows the trumpet to have some fun. Improvised lyrical trumpet solos over sustained cello notes contrasted with dazzling and very high passagework. All on stage appeared as equal partners and this relationship between the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Hardenberger was an overwhelming success. We witnessed the incredible discipline, trust and utmost respect that exists between these most accomplished musicians.
Wallroth is an enthralling performer. The Bach Cantata Jauchzet Gott showcased the agility, lightness and lyricism in her voice (especially in the upper register) matched only by dazzling trumpet trills. In the Handel aria, her crisp and clean English diction really came to the fore. Top A’s were effortless and floated as if on clouds. The enticing interplay between the soprano and trumpet was a joy.
In my opinion, the Amsterdam Sinfonietta is one of the finest string orchestras I have heard in recent years. Under the direction of Tomo Kellers, former co-leader of the London Symphony Orchestra and currently Artistic Director and Leader of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in London, the orchestra shone. The inclusion of Heiliger Dankgesang, the third movement from Beethoven’s String Quartet no.15 Op. 132, was a real test. I wondered how this work would translate for string orchestra.
I was not disappointed.
A wonderfully plaintive opening melody passed its way around the orchestra, a difficult feat in this most challenging acoustic. Crescendos, with this added depth of sound, were exciting, and the 2nd violins and violas shone in ways they are not always allowed. This is a difficult work to execute in terms of ensemble and musical line and in the experienced hands of Keller, the result was captivating.
It was in Finzi however, that the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Wallroth truly excelled. This little English number brought some quirky cheekiness to the evening, and it was such a joy to hear music from my homeland played with such attention to detail. Achieving a true and quintessential English style is tricky, but that one solitary open G string at the end of the piece with just the right sonority and bow speed, transported me, and it was a delight.
The evening finished with a selection of Christmas carols. A child is born was a most unexpected number – a little bit of jazz in this previously predominantly Baroque programme. Lyrical trumpet lines soared over the intimate and warm strings. A candle flickered during the final solo trumpet passage – the audience sat mesmerised.
The muted trumpet of the final carol saw a stillness and calm descend over the hall. The lights descended as the syncopated double basses died away. All that remained was a solitary candle, flickering in the breeze. Merry Christmas to all.
Pictures from the Friday night performance in Utrecht at the Tivoli Vredenburg
Further reading and listening:
A wonderful video of Håkan Hardenberger playing the Haydn Trumpet Concerto in the Last Night of the Proms in the Albert Hall, London from 1990.
More music reviews by Clare:
Makela’s Concertgebouw Mahler Marks the Dawn of a New Era in Amsterdam
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