The visits to the BBC Proms by Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded to bring together Israeli and Palestinian musicians, are always special events. The presence on this occasion of legendary pianist Martha Argerich made it very special indeed.
Argerich dispatched some of the bravura material of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto almost brusquely, as if apologising for mounting the old war horse at all. Elsewhere moments of introspection or intimate dialogue with orchestral colleagues were to be treasured.
In Barenboim’s hands Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony seemed, with its hushed pianissimos and mysterious tremolos, more portentous than ever, while Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra displayed the musicians’ virtuosity and the homogeneity of their ensemble.
No names are printed in the programme and this time there was even a security corridor separating the musicians from the audience. Any quibbles about tonal quality are swept aside by the passion and commitment of these players — as extraordinary as the concept of the orchestra itself.
The BBC Proms continue until Sep 14 (bbc.co.uk/proms)
