Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9

It was entirely predictable (and exciting) that this concert would be a five-star event. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus – with the MSO’s new conductor Sir Andrew Davis – presenting Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony? No wonder the two performances were sell-outs, days before. Adding international credibility to the event was perhaps the world’s most famous bass-baritone, Bryn Terfel. Among the singer’s string of leading roles, awards and festivals was the four-day Brynfest at London’s Southbank Centre in 2012; now Melbourne’s own Southbank – or at least the packed Hamer Hall – was charged with the significance of this rare visit, and the capacity audience was keen to hear (and love) Terfel singing Wagner. It was excellent programming to begin with the Final Scene from Das Rheingold, as this put Terfel on centre stage from the outset. In Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge, the singer’s charisma was shown to be far more than simply the power of his voice. His rich, round tones and an empathy for the lovingly enunciated words were all that one had hoped for. There was a balance too with the orchestra (Terfel has previously worked with Sir Andrew) that made the movement from vocal to orchestral music almost seamless. It helped that all of the music was by Wagner. Ride of The Valkyries from Die Walküre is a popular, and exciting piece, but the MSO’s attack was notable for its precision, first from the French horns, then from the strings. A characteristic Wagner crescendo ensued, with the winds finally signaling a break. But the theme was never far away, and the piece ended with a truly impressive burst of sound. Terfel then stood to sing Wotan’s Farewell from the same work, against a sonorous orchestral background. His voice both soared above the orchestra and also seemed part of it. It was not all about overwhelming sound: the emotionally charged ‘so kusst er die Gottheit von dir!’ came out of a soft passage, accompanied by the lower strings and wind. The MSO rounded off the first half of the performance with the third excerpt from Die Walküre – a rousing rendition of the Magic Fire Music. Many in the audience will have booked for The Melbourne Ring Cycle – three complete cycles of the four-opera series, each performed over eight days at the end of this year. There will be different musicians from those heard with Bryn Terfel, but this fine MSO performance was an encouraging sign that Melbourne is ready to host an event of such international significance. But there was more. The second part of this concert was devoted to the music of Wagner’s great predecessor, Beethoven: his final Symphony, No.9 (Choral). This heralded Terfel’s welcome return to the stage, with soprano Tracy Cantin, mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell, and tenor John Irvin, making at least three soloists who had worked with Sir Andrew. Swelling the sound was the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s own Chorus, prepared by Jonathan Grieves-Smith. The work was a great piece for the conductor to establish his credentials and his harmony with an orchestra that has something of a history of idiosyncratic conductors. As well as chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis is currently music director and principal conductor of Lyric Opera of Chicago, and conductor laureate of both the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, though he is perhaps best known for conducting the Last Night of The Proms. Sir Andrew’s take on the Beethoven produced a satisfyingly big sound, although the work was not without its contrasts and subtleties. I heard many of the intricate harmonies in the development of the first movement, for example, which had seemed lost in other performances. In particular I noted the precision of the dotted rhythms throughout the work, and the way the almost Mozartian sweetness of the third movement was brought out. As for the final movement: it was indeed an Ode to Joy. Terfel relished the strength of the bass line, and gave it plenty of heart. He quite properly drew back in the quartets, with all soloists acquitting themselves well, strongly supported by the Chorus, though some would disagree with an interpretation that saw a mass of sound preferred to subtlety of phrasing at times. But was this a five-star event? If the criteria centres on an unforgettable performance, featuring local performers at home with internationally acclaimed artists, and a wildly enthusiastic audience, then yes, this certainly was. Rating: 5 stars out of 5 Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Sir Andrew Davis – conductor Bryn Terfel – bass-baritone Tracy Cantin – soprano Sally-Anne Russell – mezzo-soprano John Irvin – tenor   Wagner – Das Rheingold: Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge Wagner – Die Walküre: Ride of The Valkyries and Wotan’s Farewell and Magic Fire Music Beethoven – Symphony No.9   Hamer Hall, Melbourne 27 April