Aiming to recreate on period instruments actual concert programmes of the 18th and 19th centuries, the South Bank's Pioneering Orchestras series was launched by one such modern-day ensemble: the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE).
Though billed as a homage to the famous orchestra of the London impresario Johann Salomon, this first concert turned out to be more of a tribute to Haydn, whom Salomon tempted away from Vienna to London in 1791 to become his very own composer-in-residence. Works by other composers were also on the programme, but those by Haydn consistently came off the best under the thoughtful direction of Frans Brüggen.
Most of these involved only the orchestra, without a soloist to distract attention from BrÙggen's own simple rapport with music of this period. His slight, often hunched figure frequently looked almost still to those behind him, while the smallest movements of his arms conveyed what seemed an inverse amount of guidance and confidence to the players in front. Two of Haydn's "London symphonies", Nos 93 and 100, brought out the best in the orchestra - precise playing, dramatic dynamics and warm, detailed textures.
Brüggen shaped the phrases delicately, drawing crescendos in the opening movement of No 100, mustering their forces as if organically. And there was wit to balance the high drama. In the third movement of the same symphony, he played around mischievously with the tempo of the trio section, letting the snappy violin figures fall down the slope of their melody before bringing them up short. Soprano Lynne Dawson joined the orchestra for Haydn's melodramatic Scena di Berenice. This is a testing piece, and Dawson seemed to flag until the closing phrases, when she nonetheless found enough in reserve to hit her high C squarely.
Her tone was resonant, in her higher range especially, but a certain amount of unevenness put her performance of Mozart's aria Per Pieta at a disadvantage - as did some messy playing from the wind section. The other solo performer was the OAE's lead cellist, David Watkins, in a concerto by Ignaz Pleyel, Haydn's pupil. A contemporary journalist describes how Pleyel was "becoming even more popular than his master; as his works are characterised less by the intricacies of science than the charm of simplicity and feeling". Those last 12 words could have been omitted - Watkins was a persuasive soloist but couldn't change the fact that, although Pleyel wrote enjoyable, charming music, he was no threat to his master in terms of skilful harmonic invention.
The short, sharp shock of the Earthquake from Haydn's Seven Last Words closed the concert, demonstrating the composer's pre-eminence in the face of all pretenders - and proving, again, the wisdom of Salomon.
