The Royal Scottish National Orchestra immediately played the last drum-thumping two minutes of the Symphony. Then Paul Rissmann asked the audience whether we thought it sounded triumphant, or whether we were not sure. Hands went up for both possibilities.
Fifty five minutes later we had all become experts on Shostakovich’s Symphony No 5. It was written soon after Shostakovich’s fall from grace. Stalin, up to then a fan, had walked out in disgust when he heard his first opera performed in 1936. This is the music the composer wrote to make a come back. In a Russia totally under Stalin’s power with people shot or sent to gulags in their millions we learned that there are intriguing messages deep within the Symphony.
We were treated to an extraordinarily well-presented instruction. The enthusiastic Scottish presenter, Paul Rissmann, lead us through the work aided by a short interview or two with Stéphane Denève, the conductor, and the night’s guest leader Zsolt-Tihamer Visontay. He managed to speak and play his violin at the same time, the presenter having fun deciding quite where to point the microphone lest he be struck by the bow.
This was followed by the orchestra playing a series of snippets with the score, the music, clearly readable on a screen high above and behind the players. But the score was not only beautifully illustrated it was animated so that by arrows and different colours and shades our eyes were directed to that part which was being played. Or had just been played or was about to. There was a sophistication to the overall presentation I had not experienced before. A lady I spoke to, who said she did not read music, told me how fascinating it was.
The orchestra was bedecked in red tops and black trousers, and only the odd skirt, and even the conductor’s open-necked red shirt was clearly seen under his jacket. The guest leader showed his importance by not having his shirt tucked into his trousers. The stage lighting sported red light bulbs.
After the interval the RSNO played the four movements of the Symphony all the way through. Each movement is very different and a little gained knowledge ensured a terrific round or three of applause at the end of the 45 minutes performance. Well done seemed to be what people were saying to one another as we all walked away.
Event: Friday 23 April 2010 7.30 pm