Guillaume Connesson wrote his Aleph to try to describe in music the Big Bang theory of how the universe started. It is the second of the ten 21st-century works chosen by Stéphane Denève for this season. The music was commissioned partly by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra who gave it its very first performance in September 2007. The composer describes the score as a huge dance of life and energy on the beginning of the universe. And so it was.
Whilst in his introductory remarks - something I so much appreciate - the conductor told us he had discussed the night’s performance with Connesson, who was not able to be present, he may not have spotted in the audience the retired professor after whom the elusive Higgs boson was named.
Reminding us that he and Albert Roussel were born in the same town in France, Stéphane Denève had decided to encourage us into the world of fantasy we were about to hear. Above the orchestra was an electronic screen. As The Spider’s Feast was played a short description appeared to tell us about each garden scene. There was a spider, and then a group of ants carrying off a fallen rose-petal. Dung-beetles arrived and then a butterfly which got trapped in the spider’s web. Maggots and praying mantises were there. All in all it was a wonderful way to enjoy the music.
We were fortunate to have Paul Lewis to play Beethoven’s Emperor piano concerto and there’s no doubt from the applause afterwards the audience loved every moment of it. He’s a busy man for his name has appeared almost every week recently in the Radio Times whether it be from the Proms or the Chipping Campden Festival. If he has a trade mark it must be his energetic bounce back onto the piano stool after each withdrawal from the keyboard.
Event: Friday 1 October 2010 7.30pm