Classical review: Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Andrew Manze - Glasgow City Halls

REFUSING to go easy on the audience (or the musicians for that matter), the BBC SSO filled the first half of their Thursday night concert with the Rakastava Suite by Sibelius, then followed it with the same composer’s Symphony No. 4.

The suite is a rather odd three-movement miniature which started life as a choral work. Perhaps this goes some way to explaining why, at times, it seemed as though the orchestra were only fractions away from coaxing cogent sentences from the phrases. By putting all of their weight behind the emotional narrative of the folk tale, the SSO gave meaningful voice to this often mysterious piece.

Such commitment to the cause was not always evident in Sibelius’ Symphony No 4. This is not a work which lends itself to being whistled in the interval; it offers a sparse landscape full of unfamiliar orchestral colours and uncomfortable tonalities. Though the dark opening was a timbral joy, there were countless wonderful solos, and the intense concentration on the players’ faces was, in itself, a pleasure to watch, there were also points at which the momentum slowed and the precision waned.

It’s probably fair to say that the familiar melodies of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto have rarely felt so welcome. Of course it helped that soloist Andreas Brantelid’s easy touch encouraged a performance that was as energetic and sharply articulated as it was tender and delicate. A highlight of the evening was the interaction between Brantelid and guest leader Kanako Ido, which introduced chamber-like levels of intimacy to the finale.

Rating: ***