A Night of Finnish Myths and Soviet Enigmas
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä, delivered a remarkable concert that created a compelling dialogue between two masters of musical storytelling: Jean Sibelius and Dmitri Shostakovich. Held at Birmingham's Symphony Hall, the evening paired the frosty legends of Finland with the cryptic utterances of the Soviet composer's final work, showcasing the orchestra's exceptional range.
Helena Juntunen's Absolute Dramatic Commitment
The first half belonged to Sibelius, and particularly to soprano Helena Juntunen. She brought a rare and characterful intensity to a selection of the composer's seldom-heard orchestral songs. A compelling actor, Juntunen threw herself into the performance, her body contorting with emotion as the audience hung on her every crystal-clear syllable.
Her rendition of Baron Magnus, a lyrical ballad about a nobleman's encounter with a mermaid, was exquisitely characterised. Juntunen's rich and creamy soprano voice was matched only by what can only be described as her absolute dramatic commitment to the material.
The highlight was undoubtedly Luonnotar, a tone poem composed in 1913 that is considered an innovative masterpiece. Rooted in the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, it describes the creation of the world from broken duck eggs. Juntunen, returning to the stage in traditional dress, revelled in every aspect of its weird brilliance, fully embodying the pregnant nature spirit at the heart of the myth.
Vänskä's Meticulous and Groundbreaking Interpretations
Conductor Osmo Vänskä, with decades of experience interpreting Sibelius, offered meticulous readings that felt deeply lived-in. His true skill, however, lay in revealing the groundbreaking qualities within more conventional works.
This was particularly apparent in the Karelia Suite. In the central movement, the innate warmth of the CBSO's strings was cleverly underpinned by a folk-inflected harmonic pungency. In the outer movements, Vänskä brought intricate countermelodies, which often go unnoticed, to the fore, offering a fresh perspective on a familiar piece.
Shostakovich's Cryptic Final Symphony
The second half of the concert was devoted to Shostakovich's 15th Symphony, a work whose meaning has been speculated upon for decades, not least because the composer said little about it before his death. Vänskä adopted a brisk, puckish approach to the up-tempo movements, fully relishing the music's neurotic tics.
The CBSO's percussion section had a field day with the symphony's quirky and prominent passages, and the orchestral playing in general seemed to shift up a gear from the first half. The slower movements were handled with a sustained tension that highlighted their Chekhovian ache. The symphony drew to a haunting close with a ghostly death rattle and a subtle hint of mocking laughter, leaving a powerful and lingering impression on the Birmingham audience. The programme is also scheduled for performance at the Bristol Beacon on 20 November.
