25th November 2023 Family Matinee
- Rossini: Barber of Seville Overture
- Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf
- Dukas: The Sorceror’s Apprentice
- Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Suite
- Conductor: Hitoshi Suzuki
- Narrator: Caroline Blyth
If the mission of the MSO was to demonstrate that classical music is for everyone – of any age or inclination – their Family Concert was a resounding success. Children came with shining young faces, and a cache of snacks to sweeten the experience: but every listener was soon absorbed by the zing of Rossini, followed by the musical story of Peter and the Wolf.
Rossini was famously a foodie, a man who left us his favourite recipes and a flavour of his epicurean character. Undoubtedly he would have approved the MSO’s delivery of buttery rich lower strings, crisp woodwinds and a confection of airy violins to open the concert with the delightful ‘Barber’ Overture. But if younger patrons weren’t familiar with this opening piece, they set aside their Maltesers when narrator Caroline Blyth came to the microphone to tell us about Peter and his friends.
Strings sauntered confidently with the young hero into the meadows; the flute voiced Peter’s friend, the brave bird, with charm and spirit; the unfortunate duck spoke through the reedy oboe; a cat appeared with a sinuous clarinet; and grumpy grandfather sermonised via dazzling bassoon passages. The pinnacle was the grim threat of the wolf, growling through the horns. Children edged forward as the timpani warned of the hunters’ shots – yet, child Peter turns the tables on them all, to the delight of the young audience. Narrator Caroline Blyth held young listeners, their grandparents and everyone in between, in the palm of her hand. The playing was engaging, woodwinds always a special delight at the MSO, and a succession of talented orchestral soloists were themselves ready for the remaining programme, after interval and ice cream. The orchestra, well warmed up, expanded with a piccolo added, fuller horns and brass, a harp!
and a tuba.
For those old enough to have grown up on Disney’s Fantasia, where Mickey Mouse features as the sorcerer’s young protégé, it is a revelation from the programme notes that Dukas himself was inspired by a serious moral tale about the abuse of power, derived from Goethe. Hitoshi Suzuki and the MSO gave us less of the darkly disturbing, and more of the ‘scherzo’ nature of the piece. Humour rising to desperation, colour and chaos, the young apprentice loses control of the bucket-bearing broom he has spelled into action. The larger orchestra was upbeat and vibrant. Trumpets and horns gave us dynamic passages, with dissonance from the bassoons and woodwinds and the shrill sound of the piccolo adding drama. The orchestra fizzed with energy, violins doing their best work, and the cellos sounded better than ever. Strings, alternately mocking and melodious, were counterpointed by a slightly menacing brass. Audience and players were carried along together by the magic!
Despite the feast already enjoyed we listeners, like Oliver Twist, wanted more. And so a mood of calm and grace arrived, courtesy of Tchaikovsky, inviting us to take our seats for the ballet. The Suite of Swan Lake is so melodious and richly orchestrated that it easily survives being taken out of its context as ballet music. The delicate harp raised a gossamer curtain upon the scene, a misty lake. Violins transported us, with everyone on point together, the oboe floating effortlessly and exquisitely above. Its beauty counterpointed by harsher portents from the brass hinted at ominous scenes to come. The waltz set us whirling, the solo trumpet drawing the audience right in. Woodwinds skilfully braided together to convey the dance of the cygnets: then the beautiful pas de deux, the harp, violins, cellos putting the audience into a dream. A Hungarian dance, a Mazurka … and it was over!
This well-chosen programme cast love spells over an audience of all ages. And certainly, most of us will be back in the Spring.
Tia Hardie