Viva Brighton Issue #71 January 2019

CLASSICAL
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Thomas Carroll
and the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
One of the first things I notice
about cellist and conductor
Thomas Carroll is his unusual
accent. He tells me he grew
up on the Gower peninsula in
Wales, but after studying at
the Yehudi Menuhin School in
London he spent six years in
Austria. That, plus a whirlwind
of international touring ever
since, has put paid to any sense
of a Welsh lilt.
This month he’s in town
as guest conductor of the
Brighton Philharmonic
Orchestra for what he thinks
is either the fourth or fifth time. “I always look
forward to playing with the Brighton Phil,”
he says, “and the Dome is such a wonderful
venue.” He sounds excited, and understandably,
as the programme showcases three of his
favourite pieces.
First up is Prokofiev’s ‘Classical’ Symphony No.
1, “a fantastic opener”. Although it was written
in 1917, the piece has the feel of something
composed over a hundred years earlier. “It’s an
amazing mix of the twentieth century and more
traditional classical style,” explained Thomas.
“But it’s not pastiche – Prokofiev is imagining
he’s Haydn and thinking ‘what would Haydn
write if he were alive in 1917?’ He has a lot of
fun with it. The piece only lasts fifteen minutes
or so but packs a mighty punch.”
The central performance of the afternoon will
be Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor. I asked
him about playing the solo while simultaneously
conducting the orchestra. Isn’t that quite a
challenge? Carroll admitted that directing from
the keyboard or violin is relatively common,
whereas conducting from the
cello is less straightforward.
Then again, he performed the
Schumann last year with the
Orpheus Sinfonia (the London
ensemble of which he is the
Principal Conductor), and “it
went incredibly well”. Robert
Schumann’s wife Clara was a
composer in her own right,
and a fabulous pianist. The
pair were famously close,
and the slow movement of
the concerto features a duet
between the cello solo and
the orchestra’s principal
cello, usually interpreted as a ‘private’ love
letter from Robert to his wife. It’s a small but
touching detail.
And what of the Mendelssohn? Is his work
enjoying something of a revival at the moment?
“There was a time when he was considered
an inferior composer to, say, Beethoven
or Brahms,” says Thomas. “But for me
Mendelssohn is definitely one of the greats. I
think this piece (the Symphony no. 3) pairs well
with the Prokofiev – his sense of melody, the
beautiful landscape painting in the music...”
Prokofiev wrote his first symphony in his
twenties, Mendelssohn began writing his third
when he was just twenty, inspired by his first
trip to Scotland. The music has the panache and
confidence of youth. So there’s something for
everyone to enjoy? “Absolutely – if you’ve never
heard the Prokofiev, you’re in for a treat – it’s
like unleashing the champagne cork!”
Robin Houghton
Brighton Dome, Jan 20th, 2.45pm
brightonphil.org.uk
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