BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

City Halls, Glasgow

Miranda Heggie, five Stars

A seminal piece of Finnish literature, Elias Lönnrot’s 19th century poem Kalevala, forms the basis to Sibelius’s epic seventh symphony, Kullervo, performed by the BBC SSO on Thursday. The tale’s not a pretty one, for many reasons. The protagonist, Kullervo - here sung with strength and swagger by Benjamin Appl - is riding through town, attempting, for want of a nicer phrase, to pick up girls. He eventually succeeds, only discover the next morning the lady in question is, in fact, his long lost sister. His sister, horrified, fatally throws herself into a whirlpool, and Kullervo, consumed by guilt, then stabs himself to death. Grizzly stuff.

Appl had a regal presence on stage; it was difficult to tell if this was due to his calm temperament as a singer or his interpretation of the conceited Kullervo. Singing the part of his sister, soprano Helena Juntunen was quite exquisite, giving real emotional punch to both the character’s resistance of Kullervo’s initially unwanted amorous advances and to her tragic final bars. Singing off-book, she communicated the part with organic energy and strong vocal agility.

Dausgaard’s animated conducting brought out a kaleidoscope of colour from the orchestra. Opening with a raw and direct tone, the players gave subtle harmonic hints at the trauma about to unfold. The chorus, Luds Studentsångare (Lund Male Choir), were exceptional. theirs was a clean, concise sound; glissandos were crisp and consistent, direction was sharp, though their performance was not without richness nor depth.

Having opened with a 10 minute prelude of Finnish and Swedish traditional music with excerpts from the symphony – arranged by harmonium player Timo Alakotila and Dausgaard himself – The conductor’s evident immersion in both the symphony and its inspirations proved fruitful on the podium.