In her pre-concert talk the violinist Ursula Heidecker Allen demonstrated very effectively just how softly she and her violin colleagues would be playing the first of the three movements of Debussy’s Nocturnes. It is very dreamy. Indeed we could not hear anything, but we were assured that when they were all playing we would just about hear them.
Stéphane Denève went further in his introduction. For he was addressing not just a nearly full Usher Hall but also a live BBC Radio 3 audience. To the motorists listening he strongly advised that as the music was so soft they should stop and listen - adding that Debussy’s music was good not just for the listener’s health but also road safety.
We heard all three movements, often just the first two are played. They are titled by Debussy as Clouds, Festivals and Sirens. In Greek mythology sirens were women or winged creatures who lured unwary sailors onto the rocks. For us the sirens were the eighty or more ladies of the Chorus sitting behind the Orchestra. Not a word did they sing - just musical noises, for Debussy’s plan was that they augment the Orchestra. And the Scottish mermaids, as Denève called them, were really effective. Memorable too was how all three movements were over-arched by the Cor Anglais played by Zoë Kitson.
It was clear from Hilary Hahn’s interview on Radio 3 the previous evening, and the introduction she was given by Stéphane Denève that she is a very special soloist to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Not only had she performed with them before in Scotland, but had been on their recent European tours.
An American in her early thirties Hilary Khan is enjoying a spectacular career and so the level of expectation was set very high. Her playing of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 1 was spectacular. I had noted that Ursula Heidecker Allen, in the pre-concert talk, had spoken in awe of the solo part in a rather her-than-me way - and that made the pure clear tone all the more wonderful.
So rapturous was the applause that her encore was Bach’s Presto. I am not very keen on encores by right - but this was thoroughly deserving.
Roussel came after the interval. We were reminded that Roussel is important - for he was from the same town in France as Stéphane Denève and the RSNO has been recording his music. In the Usher Hall we heard the music from Roussel’s jazz influenced ballet music from Bacchus and Ariane. It is cheerful music and we were aided by superscripts above the Orchestra telling us what was happening in the ballet.
Event: Friday 27 January 2012, 7.30pm