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The Oxford Symphony Orchestra, with Natalie Clein
4:06pm Wednesday 21st November 2007
The OSO opened its new season last weekend with a stylish and buoyant recital in the glorious setting of St Aldates Church. The high spot of the evening for many was, undoubtedly, the appearance of cello star Natalie Clein, in her second visit to the city this year.
Clein's choice of music - Schelomo, by Swiss composer Ernest Bloch - presented a real challenge to both soloist and orchestra with its emotional intensity and structural complexities. Based on the Book of Ecclesiastes, which was reputedly written by King Solomon, the despairing nature of the piece reflects Bloch's own feelings in the aftermath of the First World War.
With the solo cello representing the voice of Solomon, Clein gave a performance that was consistently and profoundly expressive, from the opening lament to the closing mood of resignation and despair. Clein's delicate and petite appearance belies an inner strength and formidable technique, which she employs with integrity and commitment, her interpretation always true to the composer's intentions.
She was given solid support by the orchestra, representing the world around Solomon, and the performance was a passionate and at times frenzied dialogue between the two, controlled by conductor Robert Max with his customary precision.
Elsewhere in the programme, a Russian flavour dominated. First up was Sadko, by Rimsky-Korsakov - whose death, incidentally, reaches its 100th anniversary in 2008. This early piece is a colourful narrative about the adventures of Sadko, the hero, and his eventual bride, Volkhova, the Sea Tsar's daughter. No less colourful was the final piece of the evening, Borodin's Symphony No.2 in B minor. In both pieces, the orchestra played with a fine appreciation of the two composers' distinctive styles, with the Borodin successfully dispelling Bloch's despair to end in a mood of exhilaration.
The Oxford Symphony Orchestra's next concert, Schubert's Symphony No.8 and Liszt's Faust Symphony, is on March 8 at Oxford Town Hall. For further details co to the websites=6 (www.oxfordsymphonyorchestra.org).
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