Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra - Pittville Pump Room, Cheltenham

Monday 25th May 2009

Crackerjack rating: 8 / 10.

A guest conductor from the United States and the latest winner of the Philip and Dorothy Green Award brought a sense of excitement to the CSO's latest concert.

Kenneth Woods revealed a strong empathy for Vaughan Williams' music in his introduction to the composer's Fifth Symphony. He followed this up with a convincing performance of this major work which, although composed during World War II, seems to hark back to more placid times.

The slow movement was a profoundly spiritual experience while the closing passacaglia sounded decidedly upbeat as if confident of better times ahead.

Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, performed in its original version, proved a excellent vehicle for cellist James Barralet to demonstrate both his technical wizardry and musicianship. The spirit of Mozart permeates this work and the soloist succeeded magnificently in conveying its humour, grace and nonchalance with good support from the orchestra.

While some may dispute Mr Wood's contention that Schumann's Second is the greatest symphony written since Beethoven, his tense and driven interpretation certainly confirmed it as as a work of stature. Schumann composed it after his first mental breakdown, and the monumental first movement mirrored his titanic struggle to recover his sanity.

A few rays of hope could be spotted in the bustling Scherzo but a dark mood underpinned it. Nor was there any respite in the Adagio which a strong performance from the string section rendered intensely moving.

However, in the final movement the shadows disappeared and the sunshine returned. Both orchestra and conductor joined wholeheartedly in the jubilation at the composer's recovery, with the brass leading the way.

Roger Jones