Edge-of-the-seat performance lived up to Emperor epithet

I’m not sure why there was such a sparse attendance at Thursday’s Royal Scottish National Orchestra concert in the Caird Hall. Virus fears? A relatively unknown choral work or (yet) another performance of Beethoven’s fifth piano concerto?

Whatever, those who missed it missed out. What could be better than a crisp, authoritative Beethoven overture, a work by Stravinsky out of his neo-classical period or a performance of this magnificent concerto that merited its “Emperor” epithet?

I’d heard a performance of Beethoven’s Coriolan overture a few weeks ago by another superb Scottish orchestra, but this performance surpassed that one. The marvellous acoustic of the hall helped enormously, but it was conductor Thomas Sondergard’s interpretation which won the day.

He exploited every last moment of drama, and stressed the nonsubtle changes of volume.

It was also a case of interpretation – from both soloist Sunwook Kim and Sondergard – which turned the Emperor into an edge-of-the-seat performance.

With a work so well-known, it is sometimes hard to differentiate between a fine performance and a blisteringly good one. Not so in this case. Sondergard kept the large numbers of the orchestra – some might say too many for a work like this – and consequently every last note from Kim was heard.

That and an overall performance littered with golden moments led to one of the best Emperors I’ve heard, and I’ve heard many. The slow movement was as golden as one would wish for and the hesitant start to the finale – Beethoven’s not Kim’s – propelled us into a Rondo that fairly clattered along.

Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, a work I’d never heard live, was an unexpected delight.

The scoring opened the door for marvellous woodwind playing.

But while the text of the psalms calls for exuberance and rejoicing, the composer plays it down to marvellous effect.

Not only is it a fine, unlauded work, it was good to hear the RSNO chorus again. They really should perform in Dundee on a more regular basis.