★★★★

“An exhilarating central Scherzo is the highlight of the work”

The symphony orchestra is the apotheosis of classical music. A large number of first-class musicians in their own right – the London Philharmonic Orchestra – unite together to play as one under the keen ears of their Leader Pieter Schoeman and the baton of their Principal Guest Conductor, Karina Canellakis.

This concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall is part of ‘Moments Remembered’ – an ongoing series of concerts inspired by Jeremy Eichler’s book Time’s Echo in which the author suggests that music is a medium of memory forming a bridge to the past, allowing the listener to connect with things gone by. In which case, this concert takes us back to mid nineteenth century Germany.

It is a traditional symphony concert in its Overture, Concerto, Symphony format; a concert of two halves with the gentle inner passion of Robert Schumann offset by the grandiose fervour of Anton Bruckner (celebrating his bicentenary this year). Schumann’s Overture, Manfred, is music written to accompany Byron’s play – the hero, a wanderer haunted by a committed crime that he cannot remember. The tragic poignancy is well portrayed by the orchestra despite some initial doubts within the ensemble from the horns. Canellakis conducts with spirit and spiky elbows, her exaggerated beat perhaps more than necessary for something so intimate. The violins seated in classical format with the firsts and seconds facing each other sound especially lush during their antiphonal passages. The Concerto swiftly follows with renowned cellist Truls Mørk as the soloist. The work is not a true concerto as such. Three linked movements play without a break and the cello line seems to imitate a vocal song cycle in its melodic movement. Mørk’s playing is delightful. His sonorous and lyrical sound soars through the pared-back orchestral texture – often just string accompaniment. His rich and velvety bass tones are especially pleasing, so deep and unexpected. There are few changes in tempo and despite the markings of “not too fast – slowly – very lively” everything is taken at a rather pedestrian pace, which concentrates on the lyricism of the work rather than the virtuosic. Mørk treats us to an encore treat with a beautiful and poignant rendition of the Sarabande from the Second Bach Suite – staying with the German theme but taking us a further century back in the collective musical memory.

Into the second half of the concert and the orchestra near doubles in size. Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony is a gargantuan work of five movements over an hour in length and Canellakis’ conducting style comes into its own. She provides a clear beat to keep the rousing brass in check and perfectly holds everything together. Titled ‘Romantic’ the initial programme note for the work talks of misty medieval scenes, chivalric knights and hunting scenes and those images are there for the taking if wanted. Certainly, the horn calls hint at such, in passages which may have kept the soloist awake at nights in anticipation. There are dramatic shades of light and dark, contrasted well, and rousing brass passages. In the second movement it is the viola section that has a rare opportunity to take the limelight, and they are excellent, rising to the occasion in a repeated extended solo with plucked accompaniment from the other strings. An exhilarating central Scherzo is the highlight of the work, the brass again letting rip, before a lengthy final movement summarises what has gone before and ends uncertainly.

The LPO has to delve into an understanding of the German spirit for this programme, something English orchestras often fail to do, but Karina Canellakis is clearly showing them the way and they are looking and sounding great together.

JOYCE DIDONATO SINGS BERLIOZ at the Royal Festival Hall

★★★★

“on to the stage walked Joyce DiDonato in a sheath of gold, her signature hair magnificent and a glittering of jewels – a true Egyptian Queen Cleopatra”

The opening concert of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Autumn/Winter Season was entitled Joyce DiDonato Sings Berlioz, which might have been slightly misleading, if you had not read the music to be performed, as the mezzo-soprano performed in just one of the three pieces played tonight.

The evening opened with Samuel Barber’s Medea’s Dance of Vengeance (1955). This saw the large orchestra on stage playing rather brilliantly this tense and violent single movement. The piece opens with a sparse xylophone solo, joined by the harp through to violin and echoed by flute and oboe. The orchestra relish playing with full strength capturing the ominous drama of Medea as she moves onwards to her ultimate goal. The music continues to change tempos with each section of the orchestra throwing the themes between instruments. There is a strong piano staccato passage that repeats relentlessly and transforms as other instruments pick it up in different rhythms. It was a thrilling opening to the evening, with every instrument pulsating this dramatic work. Medea’s Dance of Vengeance is extracted from what had been Barber’s score for a full-length ballet choreographed by Martha Graham, unleashed with orchestra and dancer, that would have been a sight to behold.

Up next was another truly dramatic piece, Hector Berlioz’s The Death of Cleopatra (1829). And here on to the stage walked Joyce DiDonato in a sheath of gold, her signature hair magnificent and a glittering of jewels – a true Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. In just one act, The Death of Cleopatra has the depth and drama of a full opera with one solo performer and orchestra. As the orchestra played the poetical extended opening DiDonato’s strength and character is clear from her stance as to where she is going to take her Cleopatra. Her mezzo-soprano operatic tone is rich and powerful as she sings above the orchestra with a great feel for the French dramatic vocal style in the recitatives and arias, particularly when singing to her ancestors in the tomb as she prepares for death. In the final movement a strong plucking starts on the double bass (six of them), and on through the strings building the tension as the orchestra breaths with DiDonato, through to the piccolos slithering here as “the vile reptile” arriving to wrap around Cleopatra’s wrist and bite. Her final despairing utterances are joined by the double basses, in what can only be described as the heart beating and slowing. Picking up with the strings momentarily in a final quivering beat before stopping – silence. Death. Conductor, Edward Gardner, clearly relishes Berlioz’s twists and turns and creates an increasing sense of entombment through to the deathly silence. A strong debut for Joyce DiDonato with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Berlioz was just 26 when he wrote The Death of Cleopatra and Beethoven had been dead for only 2 years.

Which takes us neatly to Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E flat major (Eroica) 1803-5, the final piece in tonight’s programme. This was Beethoven’s great breakthrough symphony, and music was never the same again. The stuff of symphonic legend, the symphony was originally written to celebrate the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. But when Napoleon showed imperial ambitions, Beethoven defaced the original dedication (to Bonaparte) in protest – and his musical revolution began with this glorious work. Once again Edward Gardner brings excitement and passion from the orchestra. The assured performance right from the first two bracing E-flat major chords to the dynamics in the first movement are intelligently paced. There is no mistaking one is hearing piano rather than pianissimo, or a forte instead of fortissimo. The second movement, Marcia Funebre, is a funeral march and always deeply moving. The Scherzo is well played, and the famous trio hunting-horn is beautiful. And then you trust Beethoven to take you forward to the fourth movement with yet more new themes. The final movement, Allegro Molto (very fast), does not quite pick up the tempo needed until towards the very end, when the symphony’s coda with horns at full throttle is thrilling.

Tag Archives: Royal Festival Hall

KARINA CANELLAKIS CONDUCTS SCHUMANN & BRUCKNER

★★★★

Royal Festival Hall

KARINA CANELLAKIS CONDUCTS SCHUMANN & BRUCKNER at the Royal Festival Hall

★★★★

“An exhilarating central Scherzo is the highlight of the work”

KARINA CANELLAKIS CONDUCTS SCHUMANN & BRUCKNER at the Royal Festival Hall

Reviewed on 30th October 2024

by Phillip Money

Previously reviewed at Southbank venues:

JOYCE DIDONATO SINGS BERLIOZ | ★★★★ | September 2024

MARGARET LENG TAN: DRAGON LADIES DON’T WEEP | ★★★★ | May 2024

FROM ENGLAND WITH LOVE | ★★★½ | April 2024

THE PARADIS FILES | ★★★★ | April 2022

KARINA CANELLAKIS

KARINA CANELLAKIS

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

JOYCE DIDONATO SINGS BERLIOZ

★★★★

Royal Festival Hall

JOYCE DIDONATO SINGS BERLIOZ at the Royal Festival Hall

★★★★

“on to the stage walked Joyce DiDonato in a sheath of gold, her signature hair magnificent and a glittering of jewels – a true Egyptian Queen Cleopatra”