Prokofiev's rarely-heard Second Symphony in London
This was a truly momentous performance of Prokofiev 2
Schubert, Beethoven, Prokofiev. Pierre-Lurentt Aimard (piano); London Symphony Orchestra / Gianandrea Noseda (conductor). Barbican Hall, 10.04.2025
Schubert Die Zauberharfe, D 644, ‘Rosamude’(1820)
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 (1795, rev. 1801)
Prokofiev Symphony No. 2 in D minor, Op. 40 (1924/25)
It is a long way, musically, from Schubert and Beethoven to Prokofiev’s often cacophonous Second Symphony. I wonder if, as well as tributing a great, much-missed composer, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard was creating something of a bridge in encoring four of Pierre Boulez’s Notations after the concerto? It was an inspired idea, anyway, and few pianists play Boulez with such authority, understanding, and – yes – emotion, than Aimard.
But the concert began way back with Schubert, what used to be known as Rosamunde Overture and is now Die Zauberharfe, taken from a three-act melodrama premiered in Vienna in 1820. For long, the Overture was attributed to Rosamunde’s incidental music (the Zauberharfe Overture was later published alongside the Rosamunde incidental music, hence the confusion). The Overture is one of contrasts, and I know few conductors who draw the contrasts so vividly as Noseda (he made me think of the Furtwängler January 1951 Vienna account in this regard). Noseda, too, relished Schubert’s cheeky false ending and, once the gravitas of the opening was established – silken strings – he allowed the sun to come out, especially via solo contributions of Chris Richards – who was to feature so strongly in the Beethoven – offering a wonderfully characterful clarinet solo). There was a slight raw edge to the LSO’s upper string s in the Allegro, but this made for a bracing start to the concert.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard has of course recorded the Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5 with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Nicolas Harnoncourt. Interestingly, both Harnoncourt and Noseda offer an orchestral exposition to the first movement that feels low voltage. Although first in numbering and the second in order of composition, this concerto remains early Beethoven (and in. a major key) and needs a spring in its step. Aimard does offer a complete rethink, however, evident right from the off (two distinct statements at the piano’s first entrance). Aimrd’s Beethoven is clean, for sure, but can also verge on the literal (the right-hand scalic descents). All credit to Noseda for a spirited approach to the cadenza (the long third of the three Beethoven himself provided). A nice idea to have big pauses after each of the piano’s last two chords, but if the idea was wit, it did rather fall down flat.
Here's Aimard with Harnoncourt in that movement (there are a lot of parallels):
The Largo began with a somewhat literal piano statement from Aimard before Chris Richards’ molten legato and stunning tone righted matters. It did rather feel like Aimard could not settle completely in this movement; a return to the principal theme did begin with an awkward hump.
The rondo finale was sprightly, however, the cross-hand treble/bass dialogues in the piano successful, and returns back to the min them carefully considered. It was the Boulez that transfixed, however, a set of four carefully chosen, contrasting micro-statements of exquisite beauty.
Prokofiev’s Second Symphony is rarely heard, and for good reason. The first movement is a screaming behemoth. Trumpet players are often challenged; here they had a ball, led by the superb James Fountain. Noseda found the way through th sheer mass of sound by identifying Prokofiev’s layering; the ear was naturally led to Prokofiev’s processes. This was the obverse of the Beethoven concerto: ultra-colourful, with Prokofiev’s zaniness unashamedly foregrounded. Discipline was evident from each and every orchestral department. Prokofiev’s imagination never flags for a second. A chant-like theme against pizzicato is remarkable, and was mightily effective: it is clear Noseda’s knowledge of the score, its scoring and its structure is almost beyond peer (I did enjoy Vladimir Jurowski’s recording of this piece, though). Few performances have made more of the awesome percussion beak towards the movement end, though.
And so to the second movement, a Theme and Variations (Prokofiev did say the piece was based on Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 111, which makes the inclusion of Op. 15 earlier all the more logical). The theme is a kind of ‘disturbed tranquility’; the oboe sings (and, with Oliver Stankiewicz, it certainly did). How beautiful the shadowy murmorings of Variation I, how clear Prokofiev’s thematic workings in this reading. The filigree available was extraordinary, too (Variation II, in contrast to decidedly more martial moments). If the third variation sems to imply the Prokofiev of the ballet, the fourth contained an unutterably haunting beauty with hints of a restrained, clockwork mechanism at work. The double-bass/bassoon opening of the final variation cut deep, a chant-like theme above. Here, at the end, was Noseda’s structural awareness in microcosm, the section moving perfectly to a brass and percussion pummelling, high violins screaming in protest. And, as in Beethoven Op. 111, the return of the theme comes as a revelation, the music itself the same but transfigured in the light of previous lived experience.
This was a truly momentous performance. Now one hopes this will find its way to the LSO live series. In the meantime, Jurowski has made a brilliant recording of Prokofiev Second and Third Symphonies with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia. Luckily, this is available on one YouTube (don't believe the one, if you search, with - rather bizarrely - with a photo of piano keys as its e-frontispiece, as it's an hour-long advert for Google). Here's the "Iron Foundry"-like first movement:
The Jurowski/Prokofiwv Symphonies 2 and 3 is available here on Amazon.
