BEETHOVEN & TIPPET: GLYNDEBOURNE
Conductor Adam Hickox and the Glyndebourne Sinfonia. © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Richard Hubert Smith
In recent years Glyndebourne have expanded their season into autumn and winter, not only with opera but with a series of concerts. This year the first being Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony and Tippett’s A Child Of Our Time.
Conductor Adam Hickox, © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Richard Hubert Smith
The Glyndebourne Sinfonia under the baton of Adam Hickox open with the Beethoven and deliver a powerful performance, hefty at times and dare I say it, at times bombastic. Much as I enjoyed hearing it, it did make me realise how much I prefer his works for piano and smaller ensembles. And the positioning of an excellent percussionist so far forward on the platform gave the whole a gun-fire punch that was hard to ignore. I found it difficult to work out why this piece had been chosen to come before what was to come after the interval.
And what was to follow was quite simply beautiful and moving.
Mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor. © Glyndebourne Production Ltd. Photo: Richard Hubert
Bass Michael Mofidin. © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Richard Hubert
Tippett’s oratorio is a breathtakingly moving work as an aural experience and the Glyndebourne chorus deliver every note with precision and delicacy when required and with power too. Four amazing soloists gradually took to the platform. Mezzo-Soprano Beth Taylor simply raised the roof as she emerged from the semi darkness, punching out those rounded opening lines. Bass Michael Mofidian’s rich tones heightened the drama, Tenor Kieran Carrel added a purity and sense of innocence to the work and Soprano Nardus Williams simply soared above the whole.
Tenor Kieran Carrel and soprano Nardus Williams. © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Richard Hubert
I recently attended a concert performance which had been augmented by projections and a claim to being, to an extent, an immersive experience. I hated it, the projections were intrusive and cliched. In real contrast Glyndebourne has a huge reputation for being visually driven and excelling in doing that, and for this event they had brought that reputation into play. And I loved it, there was a maturity to the production, simple imagery used with discretion, poignant visuals that floated seamlessly in the background never once submerging the music but simply wrapping around the edges. And in addition the whole was stunningly lit, with the soloists emerging one by one and in silhouette only to be revealed on their first notes. It was a dramatic triumph that added with delicacy to Tippet’s beautiful score and an amazingly beautiful performance from choir, orchestra and soloists.
Andrew Kay
29 October
Glyndebourne
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