Conductor Adam Fischer is not as well known in the UK as on the continent but hopefully, in the not too distant future, time and circumstance will allow him to perform more frequently here.
Fischer is very experienced both in the opera house and in the concert hall. Currently music director of the Hungarian State Opera, the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Danish Radio Sinfonietta, Fischer regularly conducts at the Bayreuth Festival as well as in the premiere opera houses of Vienna, Munich and Zurich.
In the Leonore 3 Overture, which Beethoven composed for the 1806 performances of Fidelio, Fischer and the London Philharmonic Orchestra conveyed all the emotions – such as those caused by oppression, fear, heroic struggle and liberation – that appear in the dramatic story of Fidelio. In the opening Adagio we were treated to unusually beautiful pianissimo orchestral sounds. Throughout the piece Fischer's dynamics were exciting but always controlled. The dialogue between solo flute and orchestra and the masterly build-up to the entry of the off-stage trumpet – heralding liberation – were particularly gratifying features of this truly dramatic performance.
As he recently recorded both of Bartók's violin concertos, the two violin rhapsodies and the viola concerto (with the London Philharmonic Orchestra), I assume that violinist Shlomo Mintz must like Bartók. Unfortunately, even allowing for variations in interpretation, he seems to miss the essence of the composer. Bartók's entire output has links to folk music – that is, to song and dance. These ingredients were less apparent in Mintz's performance than in the written score. Indeed, his rough violin tone immediately at his first entry (and throughout several passages) indicated a misconception which far too many Bartók interpreters seem to labour under when they insist on producing twentieth-century barbaric sounds. Sometimes Mintz played loud and rough even when Bartók marked the dynamic level as piano. And in a passage marked piano and dolce, the violinist produced an impressively eerie but by no means dolce sound. Yet, as shown in the slow movement, Mintz is capable of producing expressive and singing violin sounds. In the theme of the third movement I was amazed to hear the soloist putting strong accents at the end of each two-bar phrase without any request for them from the composer. Mintz can undoubtedly cope with the technical difficulties of the concerto - as, indeed, he can play Paganini Caprices, one of which (No.5) he played as an encore after his concerto performance.
There was no lack of song and dance elements in Dvořák's 'New World' Symphony, which Fischer conducted from memory (as he also conducted the Leonore 3 Overture). Robust dance themes were followed by graceful ones (often allocated to the flute, which sounded very elegant in this performance). Fischer's gently rocking speed of the slow movement allowed for an unsentimental yet highly expressive rendering of the great cor anglais theme. Fischer allowed agogics (rhythmic flexibility within the bar) in some melodic solo sections but ensemble passages were tightly controlled. Wind and brass players have plenty to do in this symphony and the LPO players rose beautifully to the challenge. I was happy during and after this performance of the New World Symphony: can one wish for more?
By Agnes Kory