Sayaka Shoji & the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra at the National Concert Hall, Friday 12th September

The opening night of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra’s new season at the National Concert Hall saw a near capacity crowd for a performance of dramatic works that showcased the orchestra’s individual and collective skill. From the relative calm of Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 1 to the instrumental fireworks of Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, the orchestra was ably led by a characteristically energetic Alan Buribayev.

Violinist Sayaka Shoji, taking the place of Pekka Kussisto, was the guest soloist for the second work of the evening’s programme, Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in Dm. Her playing was strong from the start in this most demanding of works. Capable of producing a warm and sonorous sound as well as the virtuosic displays of dexterity called for by the work, Shoji was a composed and captivating presence on stage. The opening violin figures were played sweet and tender, Shoji’s tone rich. Throughout the first movement maintained that quality of tone, even through the nimblest of runs.

The Adagio second movement is a gentler affair, the opening woodwind figure setting the scene for Shoji’s darkly lyrical solo. What could be lost in an overly melodramatic performance is never allowed to descend into cliché by Shoji or conductor Alan Buribayev.

Sibelius’ work is one that really does demand a lot of the solo violin – the shared smile between Shoji and Buribayev at the close of the second movement an acknowledgement of the hard work done – and never more so than in the fiery final movement. Shoji brings a deft touch to even the most technical runs of the movement, while Buribayev, a conductor never short of energy, controls the orchestral support beautifully.

This evening’s performance also marks the first of five concerts featuring the music of Richard Strauss on the 150th anniversary of his birth. Tonight’s selection is Ein Heldenleben, or A Hero’s Life, a monumental work that shows the full range of the orchestra. From the rich sound of the opening celli figures, their entry with the horns powerful, to the delicate string lines moving above, the opening section of the work shows an orchestra and conductor in fine and confident form. Throughout the piece Buribayev maintains the delicate balance necessary in a work that makes use of so many textures. The trumpet fanfare from outside the hall – marking the start of the fourth movement – sets in motion the martial sounds of the percussion. Strauss’s work is nothing if not ambitious, but Buribayev and the NSO bring his music to life with confidence.

Programme

Beethoven – Leonore Overture No. 1

Sibelius – Violin Concerto in Dm

R. Strauss – Ein Heldenleben