A rarely heard musical gem marked the beginning of a fascinating evening concert at Pärnu Kontserdimaja on November 7th. The Eesti Riiklik Sümfooniaorkester (ERSO), conducted by Arvo Volmer, played Beethoven’s first version of the Leonore Overtures, which is hardly ever played live. Of course, it is not like the famous Leonore III, which is a true masterpiece, but it still shows much of Beethoven’s explosive and lyrical power. Arvo Volmer was not at all willing to just have it played as a warm-up. From the beginning, the orchestra followed him in working out the hidden treasures of this piece. Leaving aside some slight Unsicherheiten at the beginning, it turned out to be true to the promise of what the audience expected this evening.
Another great “B” followed the first (but not last) Beethoven this evening — and I would presume another surprise for much of the audience: Benjamin Britten’s piano concerto. This highly gifted and interesting English composer, well known for some outstanding operas, searched for (and found!) his musical way in the 20th century: open to new developments but always rooted in musical heritage, which was quite typical for most British composers of the time.
The concerto started with a movement of driving power, keeping us restless in a positive way. The soloist, Ivari Ilja, treated the piano with superb technical skills and a sensitive attitude during quieter parts that followed the two central movements where the lyrical power of Benjamin Britten had enough space to show itself. The third movement in my eyes (or better: ears) is some of the most beautiful music Britten has ever written – and he has written a lot. It all ended with another driving movement, a march, leading to a finale that left the audience buzzing during the intermission.
After intermission, it was Beethoven again – and I must say that I haven’t heard such a convincing, touching and thrilling interpretation of his Seventh before. It seems to be one of Volmer’s favorite symphonies – at least, I got this impression from the way he must have worked on it. Sublime, explosive, lyrical, joyful: this oft-underestimated symphony has it all, and the orchestra followed the conductor willingly, making the audience more than just happy with this performance. From the beginning, they took care with the nuances in this masterpiece, and, like the pieces of an acoustic jigsaw, it ended up in a sparkling musical picture that made me feel like I had listened to a very special and highly enthralling concert.
One last word: Since I have lived in Estonia, it has been one of the most wonderful experiences for me as a German to find children and teenagers in the audience at every concert – letting kids grow up with music and art is one of the most precious gifts…
Photo: Rehearsal photo, courtesy Eesti Kontsert
Author: Wolfgang
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