Orchestra of the Swan, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick

Keswick Music Society’s 69th season got off to a stupendous start with a packed Theatre by the Lake enjoying a concert by the Orchestra of the Swan under their director David Curtis, writes JOHN COOPER GREEN. This was some of the finest orchestral playing I have heard in this theatre and the well-balanced orchestra gave us a programme that thrilled the audience. With its dry acoustic the theatre is not the most sympathetic venue for musicians to perform but the orchestra rose brilliantly to the challenge and produced playing of rhythmic precision and energy giving us ensemble playing at its very best.

The programme began with Rossini’s well-known overture to his opera The Italian girls in Algiers. This sparkled with fun and we heard some superb woodwind playing from first of all a buoyant oboe and then a wonderfully fluid flute. Throughout the evening the woodwind gave us some exemplary solos and some very fine ensemble work. David Curtis, brilliantly controlled the famous Rossini Signor crescendo as we heard a musical crescendo building up excitement until it reached a climax. Curtis’ control of the orchestra during the whole evening demonstrated a high degree of not only understanding of the music but also the forces at his disposal.

The clear sight lines in the theatre bring the performers very close. This was especially evident in Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in which one felt that the soloist Raphael Wallfisch was performing to each member of the audience individually. The English cellist Wallfisch has an international reputation and it was a privilege to hear this great player perform one of the greatest cello concertos ever written. The Orchestra of the Swan took us immediately from the translucent and ephemeral Rossini Overture of the early 19th century to the emotive and sonorous concerto written in the last decade of that century. This concerto is not only one which demands a highly accomplished soloist but one who understands the heart and soul of this music as Dvorak put so much of his own personality into it. Both orchestra and soloist are to be congratulated on a truly memorable performance of such depth. Some may have listened to this concerto in a large concert hall performed by a much larger orchestra but few of us will have ever been so involved with a performance as we were last Sunday evening.

Beethoven’s Symphony no 8 was the final work. Though it may be called the 'Little symphony in F,' coming between two giant symphonies nevertheless this is a great work and shows a different side to Beethoven’s personality. Contrasting dynamics, rhythmic precision, carefully judged crescendi and diminuendi, superb exposed solo work and controlled tempi changes were hallmarks of this performance. The lively finale brought the whole concert to a glorious end and the rapturous applause from the audience was evidence of a concert much enjoyed by all.

Keswick Music Society and, in this case, the support of Orchestras Live, is to be congratulated for yet again bringing for bringing musicians of the highest calibre to this remote area of northern England. The next concert will take place on Sunday, October 16, and will be given by the Dante String Quartet. It is still possible to become a member of the society even at this late stage and if this concert is anything to go by I would encourage music lovers to sign up as soon as possible.

John Cooper Green