Lugansky and Petrenko inject new life into iconic Rachmaninov and Elgar

Nikolai Lugansky & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
© Andy Paradise

Nikolai Lugansky (piano)

Vasily Petrenko (conductor)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

7.30pm, Sunday 29 October 2023

Royal Festival Hall, London

★★★★

Lera Auerbach (b.1973): Icarus

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943): Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

Encore -

Rachmaninov: Prelude in G sharp minor, Op.32 no.12

Edward Elgar (1857-1934): Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 55

Vasily Petrenko, Nikolai Lugansky
& the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
© Andy Paradise

Auerbach:

'Auerbach packs in the drama, opening with slapping basses and racing cellos, then propelling us through Icarus’ dramatic rise and ultimate fall'.

'... the star of the show ... was Lydia Kavina on theremin, its eery, otherworldly presence gaining increasing presence, building to its terrifying fall through several octaves'. 

Rachmaninov:

'... in the first movement his percussive projection cut through the thick orchestral textures, yet this never felt aggressive, just assuredly assertive'.

'Lugansky’s touch was particularly heartrending in the slow movement, supported by beautifully tender flute and clarinet solos'.

Vasily Petrenko conducts the RPO
© Andy Paradise

Elgar:

'... his grasp on its rich and lavish orchestration was evident right from the opening build to the noble theme’s first tutti rendition'.

'Petrenko took no prisoners with an incredibly quick second movement; the RPO ensemble was highly impressive here'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Prom 68: Britten Sinfonia ablaze on the BBC Proms’ hottest night

Owen Gunnell & the Britten Sinfonia
© BBC/Mark Allen

Britten Sinfonia
Thomas Gould (violin/director)
Clare Finnimore (viola)

Owen Gunnell (vibraphone)

Miranda Dale (violin)

Caroline Dearnley (cello)

7.30pm, Wednesday 6 September, 2023

BBC Prom 68

Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★★★

Thomas Gould, Miranda Dale,
Caroline Dearnley & the Britten Sinfonia
© BBC/Mark Allen

Lera Auerbach (b.1973): Sogno di Stabat mater

 

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713): Concerto grosso in F major, Op. 6 No. 2

 

Michael Tippett (1905-1998): Fantasia concertante on a Theme of Corelli

 

Max Richter (b.1966): Recomposed: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons

 

Encore:

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: Shine You No More, arr. for string orchestra

Thomas Gould & the Britten Sinfonia
© BBC/Mark Allen

Auerbach:

'The Britten Sinfonia strings gave their sinking lines intensity, and the solo strings riffed on Pergolesi’s suspensions, with sinister dark tutti throbbing gradually taking over'.

Corelli/Tippett:

'Bright and energetic Corelli flowed straight into Tippett’s Fantasia concertante, thereby accentuating Tippett’s gradual stretching and unhinging of the Baroque'.

'Gould was almost rotating on the spot as soloist and conductor, and communication between him and the mostly standing players was palpable throughout, their gently swaying movements transmitting their enjoyment and commitment'. 

Richter:

'Gould and his players were constantly alert to their corporate roles, producing some of the finest ensemble playing heard in a long time'.

'Once again, the criminally underfunded Britten Sinfonia (are you listening, ACE?) demonstrated inventiveness and frankly stunning performance commitment, giving other orchestral outfits much to envy'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.