Music
St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Martin Kershaw
Four Stars
With the flowers already wilting, the chocolates consumed and the champagne drunk, could this concert help those looking to prolong that special Valentine's Day magic? Certainly it doesn't get more romantic than Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Suite- the very epitome of true (if doomed) love given a famously inspired musical treatment. And Saint-Säens's Cello Concerto No. 1 is packed with stirring themes and lush harmonies sure to quicken the pulse and stir the emotions. All powerful stuff, and yet it didn't quite fly. Why? Well, however emotionally authentic and skilfully constructed (and familiar) such music might be, it still depends for its success on a totally committed, passionate performance - and this is where the orchestra tended to fall a bit short. And if featured soloist Natalie Clein worked wonders to boost energy levels before the interval with a virtuosic, highly expressive rendition of the Saint-Säens, she could have done with more robust ensemble support. Possibly the blame lay in part with Alexander Dmitriev's sometimes rather cryptic conducting style, although he's been at the helm since 1977, so the players should surely have learnt how to interpret his approach by now.
Thank goodness redemption came in the second half with a powerfully sustained, genuinely moving performance of Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony, and whilst I couldn't help wondering why several of the musicians had been substituted as part of an enlarged line up, it definitely seemed to have done the trick. The necessary coherence, drive and engagement were all finally there, and it was uplifting and reassuring to see that this orchestra is ultimately capable of achieving the emotional heights with conviction.
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