Switzerland Verbier Competition 2024 – Beethoven: Leonidas Kavakos (violin), Klaus Mäkelä (cello), Lahav Shani (piano), Verbier Competition Chamber Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (conductor). Salle des Combins, Verbier, Switzerland, 23.7.2024. (LV)
Beethoven – Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano and Orchestra, Op. 56; Symphony No.3, Op.55 ‘Eroica’
What was billed as a singular Beethoven spectacular performed by Sir Simon Rattle – the Triple Concerto with three conductors enjoying the solo roles and the ‘Eroica’ Symphony – emphasised the optimistic, joyful elements of each works. The expertise was constantly celebratory, appropriately so for the glamorous pageant setting. The symphony additionally captured among the outward complexity of heroism and its influence on humanity though maybe it underplayed a few of its deeper inward elements. And within the gradual motion when the oboe delivered its key solos with a deeply transferring, easy magnificence, it offered a poignant distinction to the general exuberant tone.
The Triple Concerto, inherently a lighthearted work, was well-suited to this open-hearted method. Full-time conductor Lahav Shani delivered an excellent efficiency within the comparatively minor piano half, whereas part-time conductor/violinist Leonidas Kavakos and full-time conductor Klaus Mäkelä every introduced a candy lyricism and spectacular virtuosity to their roles. Their performances showcased each technical prowess and expressive depth, although at occasions the stability between soloists and orchestra proved difficult within the tough acoustics of the Competition’s Salle des Combins. Even in essentially the most demanding passagework, Kavakos and Mäkelä demonstrated exceptional ability, navigating the intricacies of Beethoven’s rating with grace and musicality. Nevertheless, there have been moments of scrambling within the quickest passages, a testomony to the work’s formidable technical challenges, particularly when carried out with restricted rehearsal time.
For the ‘Eroica’, the three soloists sat in and performed with the orchestra – Shani impressively demonstrating his multi-instrumental expertise with the double basses. They had been joined by younger celebrity cellist Pablo Ferrández and, within the second violins, Gábor Takács-Nagy, founding father of the Takács Quartet (and not too long ago introduced as the brand new Inventive Accomplice with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra). The ends in each items had been enthusiastic and fascinating, with the big video screens flanking the stage providing close-ups of the performers. These intimate views revealed the gamers’ and Rattle’s evident enjoyment, typically bordering on theatrical of their expressiveness and including an additional layer of visible leisure to the musical expertise.
When the ‘Eroica’ started after intermission, and the preliminary pleasure of the viewers recognizing the celebrities sitting among the many Verbier Chamber Orchestra regulars had subsided, Rattle and the considerably diminished orchestral forces achieved putting inside readability. The ensemble, combining rising stars and seasoned veterans, displayed a vibrant power, although maybe just a few extra double basses would have enhanced the music’s weight.
Rattle’s interpretation of the pizzicatos and pauses that open the final motion infused the music with a way of spontaneity, and his emphasis on the violins’ repeated notes evoked vivid imagery harking back to the barking canine within the Spring motion of Vivaldi’s Seasons, resonating properly with the festive ambiance of the occasion. On this compelling mixture of brisk pacing and nuanced artistry, Rattle and his troops delivered a Beethoven interpretation that, whereas celebratory, nonetheless spoke to the problems of our time.
Laurence Vittes
