In an afternoon entitled ‘Beethoven and… beyond’, the Dome is the stage for the second in a trilogy of concerts put on by the BPO to celebrate the musical genius of the great German classical composer, by the name of Ludwig. Under the militaristic presence of Principal Conductor Barry Wordsworth, the Brighton audience are treated to an ensemble of classical works by both Beethoven and his German counterpart, Johannes Brahms.
Wordsworth displays adept control as he conducts. Stern, upright and with the aura of a man leading his troops into battle, he builds up and breaks down the various sections of the orchestra. From the expressions on the performers’ faces, you can clearly understand the degree of concentration that their profession requires. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 was completed around the turn of 19th century. In the key of C minor, the Concerto is Beethoven’s last great piece to be modelled on the work of Mozart. John Lill, renowned as the leading British pianist of his generation, creates ripples and waves, interspersed with a high trill as the piece builds up to surging fortissimo.
Following the interval, the Orchestra embarked upon Johannes Brahms’ first piano symphony. Infamously dubbed Beethoven’s Tenth, the symphony is split into four movements, each in C minor. Whilst Beethoven’s composition had seen the prominence of the wind section, and in particular, the French horn; Brahms’ emphasis appears to be upon the melancholic sounds of the strings. John Bradbury leads the violin section, beautifully picking harmonics, whilst the reverberations of the bassists, sitting several feet away from me, are strangely spell-binding.
In terms of popular music, it is apparent why many bands use an orchestra to give their sound power and depth, take for example the album "Forever Changes" by Love, or the concluding track to "Sgt Pepper", "A Day In The Life", prime exponents of this point.
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There is, I discovered, I degree of etiquette to be observed at a classical concert; a kind of musical equivalent to the art of using cutlery from the outside and working inwards. The audience must refrain from applauding during the various breaks between movements. This is a stark contrast to the average rock or pop gig where a band will get an applause (should they deserve it) every four or five minutes. However, when a classical audience does clap, they really do clap. Oh yes. In a similar vein, those in the auditorium are advised to ‘restrain coughing until breaks in the performance’. As a result, the pauses between Brahms’s symphony were greeted with a hiatus of around 400 coughs, quite an unnerving experience for a rookie concerto-goer.
As the 4th section begins, the roll of drums and French horn is met with the peaceful tranquillity of clarinets and flutes. I’ve never known music to be so soothing and cleansing. About half the way through the forth, there is a section that is not too dissimilar to that of Beethoven’s ninth. However, the piece quickly veers away from this trend; such was Brahms’s preoccupation with avoiding the label of a Ludwig wannabe. As the piece reaches its finale, the rapturous applause from the floor is met with an act of rebellion; the orchestra refuse to stand for the ovation, ensuring that chief Wordsworth receives all the plaudits. On the evidence of today’s performance, they surely can’t be wrong.
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