The Imperial College Symphony Orchestra performed a concert at the prestigious Cadogan Hall on March 2. Dr Trevor Bacon (Physics) reports.

The ICSO has given some great concerts in recent times and this must surely go down as one of them. Clearly word of the Orchestra’s reputation had got out beforehand, because the Cadogan Hall – a large and beautiful venue near Sloane Square – was full; tickets, apparently, sold out a week in advance.

Although the concert followed a conventional structure with an overture (Smetana’s Vltava), followed by concerto (Dvořák’s Cello Concerto) and finally a symphony (Rachmaninov’s, The Bells) – the style and delivery became progressively more unusual. 

Smetana, a Czech composer, created a set of six symphonic poems between 1874 and 1879, collectively called Ma Vlast – ‘My Country’ – of which Vltava is one. It describes the progress of the river Vltava from its source through Prague and is an ideal opening piece since all sections of the orchestra take leading roles during its course. The playing, under the direction of Richard Dickins, Director of Music at the College, was impeccable. 

Dvořák’s magnificent Cello Concerto of 1895 set the standard for all subsequent cello concertos, including those of Elgar and Shostakovich. On this occasion the soloist was Laura van der Heijden, winner of the 2012 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. It is very moving to hear a masterwork, composed by a man in his prime, being interpreted with both power and sensitivity by a young soloist and accompanied by a very talented orchestra. 

After the interval, followed a truly great performance of The Bells of 1913, which is possibly Rachmaninov’s finest work – it was certainly his own favourite among all his works. It can be described as a choral symphony, full of freshness of invention, and requires a large orchestra and choir with soprano, tenor and baritone soloists. It is rarely performed because of the forces required and technical difficulty, requiring strict coordination between the sections of the choirs and between the orchestra and choir. The College Choir (Conductor Colin Durrant) and the Thomas Hardye Singers (Conductor Peter Oakes) of Dorchester were well up to the task. 

The Bells evokes sleighs, weddings, alarms and mourning in successive movements, with soloists singing individually in three of them. The soloists, all young graduates of the Royal Music Colleges in London and with operatic experience, possessed the power and diction required. The text is a Russian reworking of a poem by Edgar Allan Poe and should, as on this occasion, be sung in the original Russian. The overall effect is quintessentially Russian, showcasing Rachmaninov at his very best. The end of the final movement is, despite its title – The Mournful Iron Bells – quietly upbeat and led to a warm feeling of fellowship in the approval shown by the audience to these musical forces so representative of the entire College.”   

To hear a recording of the event visit: http://www.cadoganhall.com/event/imperial-college-130203/