AMATEUR MUSIC REVIEW: Manchester Beethoven Orchestra: Summer Concert - The RNCM, Manchester.

The Manchester Beethoven Orchestra was founded in 1888 at a time in music history when the 20th century was about to be embraced and the Classical and Romantic periods would be left behind. Indeed two of the three pieces played at this evening’s summer concert were written after this orchestra was established and all three pieces chosen for this evening’s programme encapsulated the spirit of the Manchester Beethoven Orchestra as between them they straddle the traditions of the Romantic period and elements of what was to come in the 20th century.

The overture to Rossini’s opera Semiramide, is a piece of contrasts which allowed the different sections of the orchestra to have a substantial part. This orchestra is an amateur, community orchestra and this was a great piece to start the concert for audience and musicians alike.

Scribian’s only Piano Concerto was performed by Matthew Lam, a recent graduate of the RNCM and current Masters’ student. This was one of Scribian’s early compositions, he was 24 when he composed it, and it displayed his strongly individual style with some elements of romanticism. Lam floated in and out of this often delicate and meandering concerto with dreamy musical lines while keeping the crispness and decidedly strict tempo in keeping with the style. The orchestra, conducted by Frank Lennon, complimented the drama of this piece with an emotional quality, particularly the second movement. Scribian wrote this movement in F sharp major, which he saw as being a mystical bright blue colour (he had synaesthesia) and there was certainly a summer’s blue sky tinge to this performance.

To round up the evening, Dvorak’s epic Ninth Symphony – From the New World was performed with its many pleasing melodies. While this is a tune-packed piece it is deceptively difficult to perform, particularly with its moments of unexpected dissonances. This piece, written in 1893, gives us a firm nod to the 20th century, particularly towards 20th century music from North America, and much of it is familiar in the language of film music even today. The brass and woodwind sections in particular really shone in this piece, stirring up the emotions.

This concert marks the end of the Manchester Beethoven Orchestra’s season, with the exception of a few smaller pieces to be played at the Didsbury Arts Festival at the end of the month, and was a rousing end to their concert season.

Reviewer - Aaron Loughrey
on - 8/6/19