TWO very different works by Sibelius stood side by side in the opening half of Saturday night's concert.
The Oceanides, an unassuming tone poem, tiptoed its way into audibility as conductor Neeme Järvi motioned towards the already pianissimo muted
strings to play softer still. Such meticulous exploration of dynamics remained a feature of the short work as each undulating phrase swelled and diminished to such a precise degree under Järvi's hand that the music itself, rather than the dizziness of the expression markings, slowly came to be appreciated.
In contrast, the composer's Violin Concerto required nothing short of virtuosic technique and forthright musicianship. Violinist Vadim Gluzman leaped feet first into his role, recognising the power in Sibelius's writing with bold strokes of his bow, yet maintaining a mesmerising elasticity in his playing that favoured the lyrical features of the music.
Gluzman's rich, gravelly tone suited the symphonic opening movement and lent a sense of sweet torment to the second movement's cantabile theme. Only here and there, in the very delicate passages, did it seem that a less aggressive approach might have served the music better.
If powerful articulation and expansive melodies were to be the order of the evening, Prokofiev's Symphony No5 could not have served the programme better. This time it was the orchestra's turn to show that they, too, had huge reserves of expressive power, and under Järvi's careful management the full force of the music's light and shade was once again felt.
