The CBSO has a proud history of premiering new work, and its latest offering proved an absolute triumph.
"Left, alone" is the apt title, both witty and sad, of Hans Abrahamsen's Concerto for Piano Left Hand, a CBSO co-commission with orchestras in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, and was written in response to the composer's weakness in his own right hand. Like the Ravel Left Hand concerto, it begins in the nether regions, but unlike the French work's grumblings, here it flickers in paroxysms of rhythmic energy, ducking and diving in and out between varying orchestral textures.
Orchestral detail -- including the grim presence of another piano -- teems with activity, impeccably marshalled by Ilan Volkov's baton, and throughout this 20-minute piece, the proportions of its six movements perfectly judged, the soloist (Alexandre Tharaud here) is a poignant presence of immense character and dignity.
There is so much colour and psychological detail in "Left, alone", almost all of which will have been picked up by listeners to the live BBC Radio 3 broadcast. Those at home, though, will have missed seeing Tharaud ducking into the piano to pluck strings, and slapping the underside of the keyboard (theatrical gestures both which actually added little to the aural picture -- the use of the sustaining-pedal was far more important).
The evening began with Abrahamsen's orchestration of Debussy's Children's Corner, bringing added atmospheric insights to this impressionist counterpart to Schumann's Kinderszenen (though it seemed bizarre to orchestrate the opening movement's five-finger pianistic exercise).
And childhood provided the context for the concluding work, Mahler's Fourth Symphony, suavely conducted by Volkov, strings (including among the cellos David Russell, sadly retiring after this concert) richly singing Mahler's melodic generosity, guest concertmaster Ioana Petcu-Colan acerbic in her nightmarish solos, hornist Elspeth Dutch evocative in this Brothers Grimm-like gothickry -- and soprano soloist Sarah Tynan delivering with clarity and childlike deliberation a vision of Heaven which crows over the cheap price of wine whilst celebrating the slaughter of an innocent little lamb.
