Witnessing a partnership of equals is rare. A meeting of minds where a creative process seemingly unfolds in front of our eyes is definitely a moment to cherish. Such was rapport between Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang, and Finnish conductor, Klaus Mäkelä who found that true meeting of minds while on tour with the Oslo Philharmonic. As festive All Hallows’ Day celebrations thronged outside the Konzerthaus, Dortmund, all eyes were firmly fixed on the two, ensuring the finale of this 2024 European tour would be one to remember.
The concerto: a meeting of minds
Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, harking from a time when the composer sought to reinvent the music of the past, was the perfect vehicle for this meeting of minds. Written for the Polish-American virtuoso Samuel Dushkin in 1931, Stravinsky’s score is full of witty and whimsical woodwind and brass interjections, all jostling for attention. Frang responded with clinical accuracy. Her sound perfectly expressing the very angular phrases leaping from all directions in Stravinsky’s quirky and sometimes unexpected score. Judicious use of vibrato coupled with a huge dynamic range delighted audience and orchestra members alike. Intense soul-searching lyricism interspersed with sudden flurries of excitement. Mäkelä, all the time attuned to Frang’s every utterance. Precision was king, for nothing was left to chance.
An inspired choice
George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody no. 1 to start the evening was an inspired choice. Needing just a tilt of the head from the podium, the woodwind transported us to a world of swirling ballgowns and blushing debutantes from the fading days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Mäkelä’s innate understanding of Romania’s oft overlooked composing talent was immediately apparent. Furious fluttering flutes swooned and sashayed the orchestra into a fury unleashing an endless stream of folk song. This was not just enchanting but immense fun! Even the musicians couldn’t stop smiling.
The symphony
To conclude, a searing reading of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. Mäkelä’s energy, enthusiasm and deep understanding of the musical language was utterly convincing. The music literally surged through his veins. Minimal movements contrasted with sometimes violent shakes of the head, all springing forth an endless palette of colours. With new meaning found in virtually every phrase, this was a seductive story of torture, of love and unrequited passion.
Channelling every ounce of Russian romanticism as if their very life depended on it, the violins were the emotional heartbeat of the orchestra, and Tchaikovsky’s beleaguered conscience. Pitted against not only the double basses – the undoubted purveyors of doom – but also the tolling timpani – full of pent-up tension just like a wind-up toy just ready to pop – only the bassoons it seemed could cleanse the soul of torment.
Full of intensity and longing, the double bass assault continued in the Andantino, before the violas calmed the fray. Impassioned pleading peppered the woodwind scales, like heavenly droplets falling from on high, yet revealing an unexpected sensitivity, even a tenderness. This was not the dark Oslo Phil we had been promised, but something more sophisticated.
After a colourful and cheeky Scherzo, incessant pizzicatos, unexpected accents, a wonderfully vibrant triangle and tightly dotted rhythms thrust us ever forward in the fiery finale. Try as he might though, Mäkelä could never quite convince the brass to unearth the harrowing torment of Tchaikovsky’s fateful theme. And we never did feel the complete desolation experienced by a composer driven to the depths of desperation after a failed marriage. Finally finding their voice in the last few bars, the brass hinted at what might have been.
Further listening
Listen to Vilde Frang play Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto with Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra, recorded in November 2020
Frang’s encore was one of her concert favourites: a Gigue from Montanari’s Violin Sonata in D minor
Listen to one of my favourite recordings of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 4 in F minor
Read more from Clare
This concert was reviewed in the Konzerthaus, Dortmund on Sunday 3rd November 2024
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