Brahms's First Piano Concerto may not seem an obvious choice for the first of the BBC Philharmonic's double-concert series, Hungary in Spirit, Hungary in Sound. The Gypsy sound that Brahms came to love so dearly had not yet begun to infiltrate his own music; its influence is more discernible in the Second Concerto, written 25 years later. No one was complaining: the chance to hear young Argentinian pianist Nelson Goerner, who wowed the Manchester audience with his Rachmaninov last year, was warmly welcomed.
Goerner's playing has an integrity that can bewitch an audience. His style of passion without flamboyance is both electrifying and intensely rewarding, and perfect for the Brahms. It seemed, though, that Goerner and Tortelier were not in perfect harmony at first, and there was a sense that Goerner was occasionally forced along by a robust orchestral presence. The danger of allowing the dark shadow of the opening theme to dominate and stifle the first movement's tenderer moments was not entirely overcome. Expressive orchestral playing was occasionally sacrificed, and it was only in the solo passages that Goerner was able to soothe the ruffled calm of the lyrical themes, and give them a little space.
Happily, any apparent disparity of interpretation between conductor and soloist vanished in the sublime second movement, where the tender empathy of Goerner's playing drew a warm response from the orchestra.
There are comparatively few pieces of music that are genuinely funny, but Kodaly's Hary Janos Suite still raises a smile. Janos's imaginary battle with Napoleon is depicted by a farcical, romping theme, while the funeral march is a raspberry-blowing circus parade. Tortelier's good-natured enthusiasm brought the whole suite vividly to life; the Entrance of the Emperor was amusingly manic, ironically acknowledging the preposterousness of Janos's story. The melancholic sweetness of the slow movement was beautifully conveyed by the viola soloist, Janet Fisher, and there were some fine woodwind solos. This movement is the only one in the suite that uses genuine folk material; further authenticity is added by the shimmering colours of the cimbalom.
Kodaly's 1941 Concerto for Orchestra is an obvious orchestral showpiece, with a more muted eastern European tone. It was played with all the vibrancy and glitter that its full-blooded scoring demands.
