The programming for the Bergen Philharmonic's Prom debut under Music Director Andrew Litton seemed like a carefully planned piece of musical diplomacy, juxtaposing works by the figurehead of Norwegian music, Edvard Grieg, with a quintessentially English work, Walton's First Symphony, which the composer himself conducted four times at the Proms.
First on the programme was one of Grieg's less well-known works, the Funeral March for Rikard Nordraak. Originally conceived for piano duet, it was here performed in Johan Halvorsen's idiomatic and powerful orchestration. This is a piece of granite-like power and economy, and from the first bars, with the quiet strings answered by ominous drums, the orchestra played with suitably stern intensity, the brass and percussion in particular. The tenderly performed folk-like material of the slow middle section - with several little motifs precursory to melodies in the piano concerto - brought only temporary lightness to this rather bleak and angry expression of grief at the tragically early death of a friend.
Next we were back on very familiar territory with Grieg's ever popular Piano Concerto. The programme note referred to the famous Morecambe and Wise sketch where Eric Morecambe explained that his rendition of the first bars of the piece contained 'all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.' Unfortunately, at times, Boris Berezovsky's performance seemed to be concerned with just playing the right notes in the right order and not much else.
Berezovsky is a phenomenal pianist - as any who heard his recital of Chopin/Godowsky Etudes at the QEH in late 2005 will testify - and has a breathtaking technique allied to highly refined musicianship. Here, however, he just didn't seem to engage with the piece. There might have been a conscious decision to dispose of all the interpretative baggage that this ever popular concerto has to drag around with it and his performance of the first movement, accordingly, was swift and efficient (although not without a few unexpected smudges) but in the cadenza particularly he didn't really seem interested; the opening meanderings were given no feel of improvisation and he just ploughed through the big climaxes.
The central Adagio was once again on the swift side and Berezovsky gave a straightforward performance but never let himself take time where it was required. Things only really came fully to life as he launched headlong into the big flourishes which announce the finale. His slight impatience was more suited to the urgency of this movement. There were some lovely light touches in the presto coda and he added nice character to the main theme's return after the slow middle section, distinguished by an exquisite rendition of the big flute solo.
The orchestra's contribution was remarkable mainly for some lovely solos: as well as the flute, Sebastian Dörfler's brief cello solo in the Adagio was particularly beautiful. The big tuttis came across well but pianist and orchestra never quite blended seamlessly at the cadence. It all came together where it counts, though, in the big outpourings of the piece's final bars and the audience - I can only assume it was this concerto which had sold out the hall - reacted with enthusiasm.
There can be few better ways for a visiting orchestra to win over a Proms audience than performing British music and performing it as well as the Bergen players did. Andrew Litton earned himself something of a reputation in British music whilst at the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and has obviously managed to build a musical bridge across the North Sea by transmitting his enthusiasm and commitment to his orchestra.
Walton's First Symphony is not a piece for the fainthearted - it can be unrelenting in its sheer intensity - but the commitment and virtuosity of this performance were compelling. There's no doubt a bit of hyperbole in John Ireland's words to Walton that the symphony 'has established you as the most vital and original genius in Europe' but the Bergen players displayed total belief in the work's quality. Right from the opening tentative and uncertain bars to the last movement's coda - with main theme on furious string tremolandi, and the big brass and percussion climaxes (led by principle timpanist Tom Vissgren, who'd been truly outstanding all evening), Litton kept the intensity and momentum going.
There was respite in the third movement Andante which was once again blessed with some gorgeous playing from flute and clarinet in their languid solos. In the Presto second movement, one could argue that sonic finesse was put ahead of squeezing every last drop of malice from the score, but that is always a difficult balance to strike.
Cutting short the enthusiastic applause after the Walton, Litton casually turned to the audience: 'what do you think of my 242 year old orchestra?' The audience made clear their approval and were rewarded with a two-for-one Grieg encore. The announced Last Spring - performed with moving tenderness by the strings - led into the Hall of the Mountain King at which stage Litton stopped conducting, watched arms folded, with justified pride for a minute before walking off stage and leaving them to it. This little coup de theatre brought the house down and it was good that Grieg found rehabilitation after the short shrift he'd received in the concerto performance.
By Hugo Shirley