Music

BBC SSO

City Halls, Glasgow

Rosie Davies

Four stars

IT IS a particular pleasure to experience a world-class soloist interpret one of the staples of their instrument’s repertoire, and so it was Haydn’s first cello concerto – much-performed and much-recorded since the manuscript was unearthed a regrettable 200 years after it was written – and German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser.

After whetting the appetite with Blacher’s bright, zippy Concertante Musik (which Blacher himself called a “high-class lollipop”), delivered on a tightrope of cool, assured charm, it would be easy to expect a similarly light treatment of the Haydn. But Moser chooses to deliver it with a stylish and modern romance, guest conductor Christoph König matching his legato charm with an orchestra that blends and smooths, rather than lightly supports.

The decision of how to treat the technical challenges of the work _ Du Pre’s gently pronounced calm, Rostropovich’s gutsy confidence? _ still ultimately fell to Moser, who veered towards an expressive lyricism. Those lovely long notes starting the second and third movements were perfectly rounded, blending, rather than contrasting, with smooth virtuosic runs up through the tricky high register. Chunky chords were delivered as little stylistic nips here and there, light touches of accent rather than gritty force.

Haydn’s concerto may have been 200 years in the finding, but Brahms’ first symphony was over 14 years in the making and the SSO’s nuanced, mobile performance brought to the fore the perfectionist composer’s subtlest intentions. König danced before them in what looked like a choreographed performance of his own, directing beautifully tapered sweeps throughout sections which create a shapely movement throughout. It worked particularly well against the second movement’s solos – delicate oboe and clarinet overlapping, and leader Laura Samuel’s sweet violin soaring above – and in a suitably majestic final movement.