Prokofiev and Shostakovich are forever yoked together as the voices of Soviet Russia, their music sometimes speaking on behalf of the authorities, sometimes offering secret resistance, sometimes both simultaneously.
Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto (1935) dates from before his return to Russia after years of exile. Its sinuous melodies might be part of his homeward journey but the castanets and rhythmic ingenuity are clearly pre-Soviet Prokofiev. Soloist Daniel Hope captured the sweet lyricism and was on top of the more frenzied passages, yet with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales kept under a tight rein by conductor Thomas Søndergård, the results felt subdued.
There were no such problems with Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony. Søndergård’s reading was just the right side of wild but the quieter passages impressed, as when a full complement of violas, cellos and basses seemed barely to disturb the air. The concert opened with the UK premiere of Colin Matthews’s Turning Point. Its jaunty introduction suggested a Sixties caper movie but the mood shifted as tuba and contrabass clarinet erupted darkly, while at times the string writing had the stoicism of the Holy Minimalists. For Matthews, that is new territory.
Catch up on iPlayer; also on BBC4 on August 4. Proms run until September 7 (0845 401 5040, bbc.co.uk/proms)
