The Hallé, Leeds Festival Chorus & Leeds Philharmonic Chorus – Leeds Town Hall
Conductor: David Hill
Music: Bruckner (Motets) & Mahler (Symphony No.2 in C minor)
Reviewer: Nicola Harrison
The Public Reviews Rating: 
‘A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.’
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
It is with great pleasure Leeds International Concert Season bring us the sovereign and powerful music of Bruckner and Mahler. Bruckner and Mahler both wrote during the Romantic period. Bruckner’s Masses and Motets represented a pinnacle in Catholic church music at this time and Mahler was receptive to the German Romantics’ understanding of music still dominant in the late nineteenth century, where ‘feeling’ and profound spiritual revelation prevailed.
The concert programme demonstrated how they can be linked as composers. Their similarities lie in their harmony, style of cadence and fondness for symmetry and periodic structure. An essential part of their musical inspiration transcends from their religious devotion. Their music encompasses pathos, powerful tragedy and emotional extremes of utterance, enjoying broadly built climaxes of high ecstasy, sustained tensions and sonorous dynamics.
Bruckner’s Motets comprised of a collection of over forty works and were intended to be a celebration of his personal faith and creativity. It has been said that the art in the performance of his works lies in the authenticity of interpretation. It can appear to lack form, but exploitation of the beautiful tonal language and melodies counteracts this. As an opening to the concert these Motets worked. The choristers of Leeds Festival Chorus and Leeds Philharmonic Chorus clearly enjoyed the sonorous harmonies of the five Motets, their purpose and style were individualised and provided highlighted contrast in both dynamics and texture.
Mahler’s 2nd Symphony No.2 in C minor (Resurrection) is considered to be a kind of ‘Requiem’ that explores the journey through life and concept of our existence and its meaning. If Heaven and Hell are what we make them then Mahler’s 2nd Symphony unveils his own expectations of light, love and endless hope as the work explores despair, confusion, ecstasy and ultimate revelation. Mahler is considered to have mastery over the orchestra. His believe that the symphony should contain everything is reflected by his wealth of colour, charm of sound, increasingly complex polyphony alongside individualistic instrumental combination of an amazing economy.
Mahler was like Bruckner, the bearer of a transcendental mission, master of an inspired tonal language enriched and enhanced by himself. The strength in the performance of his works lies in its delivery. Under the magnificent direction of conductor, David Hill, The Hallé Orchestra achieve what Mahler intended, maintaining beauty, grace and charm alongside power and individualism. Of note were the woodwind section in the opening movement who sustained resonating solo passages over an undulating string accompaniment. The percussion maintained rhythmic precision throughout, providing contrast in the dramatic climaxes and the strings were as ever finely tuned and evocative in their performance. The harp, however, played by Marie Leenhardt and Eira Lynn Jones, was particularly outstanding in the solo sections.
As the concert came to a close it was remarked that Mahler’s 2nd Symphony had been an enlightenment. Although Soprano (Sarah Fox) and Mezzo Soprano (Jennifer Johnston) were technically brilliant, it did not enhance the performance in any way and therefore there was an element of disappointment. As an overall experience, however, these composers were truly celebrated to an attentive and receptive audience.
Tags: Bruckner, David Hill, Eira Lynn Jones, Jennifer Johnston, Leeds, Leeds International Concert Season, Leeds Town Hall, Mahler, Marie Leenhardt, Sarah Fox
1:08 am on November 14th, 2011
This reviewer was clearly at a different concert from me. The orchestra were magnificent under the outstanding direction of David Hill, but the choir were distinctly average, except in the final throes of the Mahler 2 where they hit their stride. The one element that lifted the concert into orbit was the contribution of the two soloists. Although the soprano has little to sing, Sarah Fox made much of her part and sang beautifully. But for me the crowning moment was the fourth movement, and when Jennifer Johnston stood to sing, time stood still. Her voice is rich, powerful, emotionally connected and beautifully controlled, and if she isn’t a superstar in the classical firmament within the next 5 years, I’ll eat my hat.