Simón Bolívar SO of Venezuela/Dudamel review – where was the verve?

Royal Festival Hall, London
Beethoven’s Fifth lacked pathos and the Wagner was short on tension in a programme that seemed misconceived

Venezuela’s inspiring El Sistema ambassadors have long since dropped the “Youth” of their title, and there’s no sign of the famous yellow and blue bomber jackets and caps, but they still command the same audience enthusiasm as before, and no wonder. The more than 100-strong orchestra are an uplifting presence and they make a thrilling sound. The Festival Hall fizzed with excitement for the first of their two concerts this week.

As a purely musical experience, however, this latest Venezuelan visit under Gustavo Dudamel was not a happy one. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony started well, with Dudamel exerting a tight propulsive grip. But this conductor’s tendency to pull the phrasing about for no good reason soon reared its head, with the oboe solo in the first movement recapitulation almost bringing things to a complete halt. Dudamel’s fast speed removed much of the pathos from the slow movement, but only those with hearts of stone could fail to enjoy the earthy playing of the lower strings in the third-movement trio, or the exuberant rendering of the symphony’s closing pages.

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