São Paulo Symphony/Fischer Review: A Vibrant and Diverse Musical Library

The Edinburgh International Festival recently dazzled its audience at Usher Hall with a performance from Brazil’s renowned São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of music director Thierry Fischer. The performance was part of the orchestra’s 70th-anniversary European tour, offering listeners a vibrant and colorful repertoire.

The highlight of the evening was Richard Strauss’s “Alpine Symphony,” played after the interval. The piece filled every inch of the stage with the expansive ensemble Strauss intended. Musicians doubled on Wagner tubas, while a massive percussion section was framed by a new wind machine and thunder-sheets, with two timpanists taking center stage.

Fischer’s direction ensured that every intricate detail of the full-bodied piece came through, with São Paulo’s leading musicians providing exceptional solo performances. A special nod goes to orchestral pianist Cecília Moita, who delivered a remarkable organ performance on very short notice.

The first half was equally captivating, featuring Alberto Ginastera’s 1963 “Violin Concerto.” Originally set to be performed by Hilary Hahn, the soloist role was admirably filled by London Symphony Orchestra leader Roman Simovic due to Hahn’s indisposition. The concerto opens with a rigorous cadenza, showcasing the violinist’s technical mastery with complex passages and dynamic range.

Simovic’s performance was both taxing and assured, delivering nuanced dynamics that required the utmost quiet from individual musicians and coordinated ensembles. These poised renditions offered a stark contrast to the Strauss piece, though equally compelling.

The program began with five movements from Camargo Guarnieri’s “Suíte Vila Rica,” a composition by the São Paulo native that paints an auditory picture of the orchestra’s home city. The fourth movement featured a romantic melody likely underscoring a cinematic moment where protagonists unite.

To round out the evening, Simovic and Fischer treated the audience to Franz Waxman’s “Carmen Fantasie,” a lively concert piece derived from Waxman’s Oscar-winning score for the film “Humoresque.” This swift journey through Bizet’s well-loved melodies served as a fitting encore to the demanding Ginastera concerto, leaving the audience exhilarated.