PROUD, HISTORIC SCOTLAND
Russia’s Boris Belkin collaborates with the RBSO on Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy
The legendary Russian-born virtuoso Boris Belkin visited Thailand two years ago to enthral classical-music lovers in Bangkok, and his return to the Thailand Cultural Centre late last month to collaborate with the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Michel Tilkin generated no less interest or enthusiasm. For this appearance, in the presence of HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, he brought with him the atmosphere and sounds of proud, historic Scotland, in the form of a once-neglected gem of the repertoire — the Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch.
Its full German title translates as Fantasy For Violin With Orchestra And Harp, with free adaptation of Scottish Folk Melodies, the technical hurdles for soloist challenge those of the best-known Romantic Period concertos. Playing on a rare and precious Guadagnini instrument of the highest quality, his ravishingly attractive tone in melodious passages and crystal-clear articulation in rapid arpeggiations was evident throughout the four substantial movements. Although not quite a full-blown concerto in the conventional sense, the work nonetheless possesses a plethora of contrasting tempi and moods. What sets it apart, in particular, is an unusually substantial harp part, reflecting the geography of the work’s inspiration and localised folk-music content, often effectively becoming a full duo partner with the solo violin. On this occasion, RBSO harpist Ema Mitarai rose to the occasion admirably, playing this difficult score with much confidence and an assured, clean technique.
The first movement evoked a marvellously atmospheric, calm but bleak scene at the outset, a rather plaintive recitative-like solo entry by Belkin, then leading gradually to much brighter music with Bruch’s treatment of his first Scottish melody, Through The
Wood Laddie. Featuring a prominent Scotch snap (short-long rhythm), this also appears at the end of the second and fourth movements.
The lively second movement turned towards energetic Scottish dance, using a tune called The Dusty Miller, with the trope of imitation bagpipes provided by open chords in the rich-sounding RBSO double-bass section. Bruch adorns the melody with ornamented commentary from the violin, after which a slowing of pace brings a sentimental reminiscence of the first movement’s melody, serving as a transition to the slow third movement. Based on I’m A’ Doun For Lack O’
Johnnie, Bruch’s love of melody’s unaffected power was most evident here.
The composer’s colleague Mendelssohn had suggested the marching Allegro
Guerriero (Warlike Allegro) in the preface to his own Scottish Symphony, and Bruch borrows this for his own rousing finale. The fourth movement duly included a sprightly arrangement of Het Tuttie Tatie, a tune in the patriotic anthem Scots, Wha Hae. Believed to date back to the Middle Ages, Scots, Wha
Hae is associated with Robert the Bruce, and specifically his improbable defeat of a much larger English army at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
Belkin’s vigorous triple-stops and virtuoso showmanship were a joy to behold, as Bruch’s score emphasised the tune’s rhetorical, martial power. This was then contrasted with more tender moments, and with another reminiscence of the opening movement, drawing down the curtain with a last,
exuberant gathering of forces for Scots, Wha
Hae for the entire ensemble.
2020 being the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Maestro Tilkin marked this occasion by beginning the programme with Erwin Schulhoff’s orchestral arrangement of a short solo piano showpiece dating from the late 1790s — Rage Over A Lost Penny,
Vented In A Caprice In G Major. A virtuosic, entertaining, and rather quirky diversion from Beethoven’s usually more earnest mode of expression, the six-minute opus was dispatched with impressive bravura by all sections of the RBSO. Moreover, it served extremely well as an overture of sorts to the following entrance of Belkin.
After the interval we were treated to Robert Schumann’s lovely five-movement
Symphony No.3 In E-flat Major — known as the Rhenish because of the inspiration the composer took from the River Rhein and its surrounding landscapes. An extremely well prepared performance, Schumann’s original orchestrated score was lovingly realised by a most focused RBSO, prompting the question: “Why did subsequent composers such as Mahler feel it so necessary to reorchestrate (in their minds, improve upon) Schumann’s work?” His scoring may be thick and dense, true, but it is surely up to the performers to ensure that these textures are balanced accordingly — it can certainly be reported safely that conductor and orchestra achieved this with aplomb at this concert.
This was no more apparent than in perhaps the highlight of the work, the sombre fourth movement, where Schumann’s impression of the mighty, just recently completed Cologne Cathedral is “in the manner of a solemn ceremony”. The contrastingly jubilant finale then reminds that Schumann was indeed such a huge influence himself on future giants — not least a slowing of pace for a heroic trumpet fanfare which very obviously foreshadows the corresponding moment in Mahler’s own first symphony.
Belkin’s vigorous triple-stops and virtuoso showmanship were a joy to behold