AN ENGLISH JOURNEY

BAX Tintagel
WALTON Violin Concerto
ELGAR Symphony No.2

Vassily Sinaisky conductor
Tasmin Little violin 

The city of Manchester if fortunate in having two top quality football teams and equally, on the musical front, two top quality symphony orchestras. On Saturday night it was the turn of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra to play at home in the Bridgewater Hall under its Chief Guest Conductor, Vassily Sinaisky.  

They presented an interesting all English program, entitled ‘An English Journey’, featuring Tasmin Little playing the Walton Violin Concerto, a work which she has recorded and has a great affinity with. This showed in her marvellous interpretation of the taxing score which was beautifully accompanied by Sinaisky and the orchestra. Little was no doubt in control throughout and showed an in depth knowledge of the music and especially the double-stopped ‘memory’ of the concerto’s theme towards the end. A definite triumph.  

The concert opened with Bax’s rarely performed tone poem Tintagel. Sinaisky and the orchestra gloriously brought to life Bax’s evocative music illustrating the majestic Cornish landscape that is Tintagel. With wave-like dynamics and swelling string expression the audience was under no illusion what world they had now entered. Grand luscious string melodies expressed the power of nature, tremolandos in the strings depicted a foamy surface to the ocean and together with the brass the tonality suggested possible legendary aspects to the poem.  

After the interval we were treated to a triumphant rendition of the second symphony of Sir Edward Elgar. Sinaisky gave us a commanding performance extracting Elgar’s beautiful melodies which were supported by sonorous brass and themes played by the cello section as one. Elements which stood out to me included the sensitive oboe playing and the brass and timpani playing in the second movement. The end of the third movement was full of energy which led easily onto the Moderato e maestoso which concluded the evening’s concert.  

In total a fantastic evening and a definite home win! 

Jonathan “Burt” Hill