CBSO/Vänskä Review – Eerie brilliance and nervous tics in a compelling programme classical music

SEpilius and Shostakovich shared a gift for lyrical storytelling, lending cohesion to this evening of musical narratives in Symphony Hall, from the light-hearted myths and legends of Finland to the customary pronouncements of the Soviet composer’s final symphony.

Osmo Vanska has decades of experience regarding Sibelius, so it was no surprise that these meticulous interpretations felt lived-in. But what was striking was the way the Finnish conductor extracted the pioneering qualities in some of the more traditional works. This was particularly evident in the central movement of the Karelia Suite where the warmth of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s strings was underpinned by folk-touched harmonic intensity, or in the outer movements where complex counter-melodies were revealed that sometimes went unnoticed.

It was also nice to hear a selection of Sibelius’ rarely programmed vocal works, especially in Helena Juntunen’s signature performances. A convincing performer, she threw herself into three of the composer’s best orchestral songs, her body writhing with emotion as the audience hung on every crystal clear syllable. Baron Magnus, a ballad in which a melancholy nobleman flirts with a mermaid and (unusually) lives to tell the tale, is wonderfully described. Juntunen’s dramatic soprano was rich and generous, and her dramatic commitment was absolute.

The tone poem Lunotar, composed in 1913, is considered an innovative masterpiece. It is rooted in the Finnish national epic Kalevala, and describes the creation of the sky, moon and stars from duck eggs broken as they fell from the knee of a pregnant nature spirit. Juntunen returned to the stage in traditional costume, relishing every aspect of his exotic brilliance.

Many have speculated on the meaning behind Shostakovich’s enigmatic Fifteenth Symphony: the composer didn’t say much about it before his death. Vänskä adopted a fast and fearless approach to the high-tempo movements, enjoying the tics of the music. The rhythm section in particular had a field day, and the orchestral playing was generally of a high standard in the first half. Sheer texture and sustained tension heightened the Czech anguish of the slow movements, and the music finally came to a close with a ghostly death rattle and a hint of mocking laughter.