The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra marked its 80th birthday with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, featuring a programme that championed bold creativity. The evening opened with the world premiere of Errollyn Wallen's Flare, a two-minute orchestral joyride that began with a trio of whooping trumpets followed by a massive wallop from the full orchestra, all barefaced horns and effervescent strings.
Beethoven's Triple Concerto Shines
Under the baton of Vasily Petrenko, the orchestra delivered Beethoven's Triple Concerto, a work that in 1804 was the first to feature an entire piano trio as concertante soloist. Petrenko proved an obliging accompanist, spotlighting the poetic, almost flirtatious performances of cellist Pablo Ferrández and violinist Julia Fischer. Pianist Jan Lisiecki, awkwardly placed with his back to them, found moments to swivel around, cajoling the string duo into a lyrical threesome. Amid the collegiate C major sunshine, the scrupulously balanced trio still found room to pull virtuosic rabbits out of Beethoven's musical hat.
Strauss's Heroic Vision
In contrast, Richard Strauss's Ein Heldenleben got off to a determined start, with the RPO strings chugging along with limber woodwind and rock-solid brass, including nine horns – “quite the thing to express heroism,” the composer declared. The Hero's Companion, a portrait of the composer's tempestuous wife, was carried off with self-effacing virtuosity by leader Duncan Riddell. The strength of this performance lay in its sense of vision and musical cohesion, with the rip-roaring orchestral battle featuring laser-focused offstage brass and a final retreat from the world with soulful strings. Petrenko and the RPO emerged as the real heroes of the night.
The concert celebrated an ensemble that, over 80 years, has been inventive and chameleonlike, embracing everything from film soundtracks such as The Bridge on the River Kwai to rock anthems in Hooked on Classics. Founded in London by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1946, the RPO continues its legacy under Petrenko, the latest in a line of music directors that includes Rudolf Kempe and André Previn.
