RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN
John
Wilson and the Sinfonia of London at Symphony Hall *****
It is a long time since I have been in a Symphony Hall
packed to the rafters, with such an atmosphere of expectation, and an audience
agog and appreciative of every note. And what engendered all this? The eagerly-awaited
appearance of John Wilson and his remarkable Sinfonia of London in a Rodgers
and Hammerstein programme, hot on the heels of their CD releases of
ultra-complete performances of that more than talented duo’s Oklahoma! and Carousel.
Wilson, now mended from a serious bicycle crash which nearly shattered his left harm,
conducted with his usual style and clarity, every gesture evoking a crisp
response from these expert players, even on occasion evoking Beethoven
conducting his own Seventh Symphony, crouching down and then leaping up for
expressive effect.
From the Sinfonia of London he drew sounds of awesome
impressiveness: silky, vibrato-rich strings, deft, eloquent woodwind, smooth,
fruity saxophones, roaringly confident brass, percussion both imposing and
nimble, and an inspired rhythm combo. In the purely instrumental offerings the
results were tremendous: the inspired escapism of the Carousel Waltz, the
atmospheric tragedy of Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (its false endings releasing
premature audience applause).
Oscar Hammerstein’s lyrics are the most intelligent ever
penned (Cole Porter’s come close for wit), and Wilson’s trio of vocal soloists
here were splendidly adept at delivering them with exemplary diction: Scarlett Strallen’s
soubrette-like soprano brittle and bright, Louise Dearman sultry and sassy, Nathaniel
Hackmann dignified and touching.
Particularly enjoyable were the three great “pre-Love Duets”,
a genre Rodgers and Hammerstein made their own, an early scene-setting for what
was going inevitably to happen during the course of the musical play: Oklahoma’s
“People will say we’re in love” (Strallen and Hackmann, the same duo giving
Carousel’s “If I loved you”), and Dearman and Hackmann in South Pacific’s “Twin
Soliloquies”.
We had a nod as well to Rodgers’ earlier collaboration with
Lorenz Hart, including “Falling in love with love”, Strallen accompanied with
such delicacy by Wilson’s orchestra, and the arresting stillness (wonderful
horn obbligato) of Dearman’s “Little girl blue”.
Throughout this memorable evening the choreography of
entrances, courtesies and exits was subtly managed, culminating in a “You’ll
never walk alone “ from the entire company which will live long in the memory.
But then what an encore! “June is busting out all over”,
with the long extended ballet sequence we seldom if ever see in stage
productions, and delivered with a verve and exhilaration which communicated across
the footlights to raise us all to our feet – me included.
Christopher Morley