Drum role for Beethoven even without the kettles
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Edo de Waart, with Madeleine Pierard, Kristin Darragh, Simon O’Neill, Anthony Robin Schneider, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir Music by Beethoven, Michael Fowler Centre, Friday, November 23 Reviewed by John Button
The hall was packed for this concert that started with Beethoven’s First Symphony and ended with the Ninth Symphony.
At the outset, I must say, I have never heard a bad performance of the Ninth Symphony, although Pietari Inkinen’s first attempt in 2011 was misconceived – redeemed quite brilliantly by him in 2014.
The vastly experienced Edo de Waart guided the work with great skill, using a medium-sized orchestra with clever judgment of tempi and dynamics.
The first movement built beautifully, leading into a scherzo that was properly propulsive, though the modern tympani had less snap and bite than the classical kettledrums the orchestra owns. They should have been used.
The slow movement made its extraordinary impact with a tempo that was properly flowing and it led immediately into a dramatic reading of the recitative that opens the famous finale.
Things moved brilliantly into the solo entry by the bass/baritone. Here Anthony Robin Schneider made light of Beethoven’s difficult writing and, with a cleverly understated entry from the choir, the performance surged irresistibly to its tumultuous conclusion.
All four soloists were superb and the Karen Grylls-trained choir was thrillingly precise.
Only an understating of the ‘‘alla turca’’ percussion in the Alla marcia was a regret, though Simon O’Neill sang brilliantly.
The concert opened with the First Symphony, a work that is under-rated. Seen by many as too close to the late Haydn it is, in truth, real Beethoven, and had this beautifully played performance had a hint more, bite and drama, this would have been completely obvious.
And, that would have been helped by using those classical kettledrums.
But it was, on balance, a marvellous concert, greeted by an extended standing ovation.