Barbican Hall, 24 May 2012

This was Jirí Belohlávek’s final concert as Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and it drew on all of the strengths he has brought to the post over the last six years. The orchestra itself is now as fine as it has ever been, and the excitement it brings to familiar repertoire is itself a constant delight.

The first half was given over to Brahms’ violin concerto with Isobelle Faust the soloist. The approach from both conductor and soloist was incisive and concentrated, with an unexpected introspection about much of the phrasing. Isabelle Faust is not a demonstrative player, with little physical movement or eye-contact with either audience or other players, yet the intensity of her music making is exemplary. We are drawn into the inner life of the score rather than any superficial showmanship. The first movement ended with the Busoni cadenza, its cooler classicism in keeping with the soloists approach.

In the second movement Jirí Belohlávek kept the pace moving from the start so that there was no sense of relaxing into potential sentimentality. Only towards the final pages of the movement did the gentle floated passages from the soloist take off into a more ethereal vein. But this was a foil, for the final movement leapt into life with all the joy of Bohemian dance rhythms, sweeping away any earlier introspection with its energetic enthusiasm. It was received with rapturous applause, and understandably so.

Jirí Belohlávek has done much to promote the works of Josef Suk, whose late romantic music is not as well known as his fellow Czechs. The tone poem Ripening is a late work and one which demands more than a single hearing. Opening in pastoral vein it rapidly develops greater muscularity until it builds to an extended dancelike fugue. Only once this has worked itself out in a frenzy of brass fanfares does the work calm down to a hushed if slightly sinister conclusion. Suk uses a large orchestra and makes great demands of his solo players, but the work equally demands the most subtle handling to maintain the narrative line and balance. For this Jirí Belohlávek is a past master.

He will retain his connection with the orchestra as Conductor Laureate alongside Sir Andrew Davis. We look forward to his regular return. BH