Transporting the audience back to 18th Century Vienna, Mozart’s Requiem does not disappoint. The orchestra, conducted by Award-winning German conductor Corinna Niemeyer, was complemented by appearances from Victoria Randem (soprano), Eléonore Pancrazi (mezzo-soprano), Stuart Jackson (tenor) and Benjamin Appl (baritone). The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir were in full, lively voice.
Opening with Haydn’s Symphony No.49, La Passione, the concert began as it meant to go on. Niemeyer animatedly gesticulated at the front to lead the orchestra through the allegro piece, paying particular attention to the contrasts between loud and quiet, light and dark.
Haydn’s work is written in the ‘storm and urge’ style with a somewhat unusual structure for the time. All four movements are in F minor and it is one of his darkest symphonies.
Following on from this, Pancrazi joined the stage for Marianna Martines Orgoglioso fiumicello. With several striking touches of orchestral colour, it’s a celebration of nature, enjoyed by a shepherd who finds his way temporarily barred by a swollen river.
Holding a well-developed stage presence, Pancrazi immediately connected with the audience and gave a performance peppered with emotive expressions in all the right places along with eye contact with the audience.
The connection between those on stage and attendees had been lacking in the first piece but became more apparent as the evening went on. This was helped by having the soloists facing the audience.
There was a relatively small orchestral ensemble for the first half. Creating an intimate feel in the room, it allowed the skill of the musicians to really show in comparison to the drama of the second half, where the complexity of Mozart’s Requiem can perhaps make playing so well look effortless.
Oscillating between the delicately gentle and the rousingly rambunctious, the second half had everybody captivated. The prodigious talent of Mozart is a must for any listener. Evolving the concert to include a full choir, expanded orchestra and appearances from the soloists, Mozart’s Requiem ramped up the atmosphere.
It is a thrillingly poignant piece. Offering complex layering of both the orchestra and the choir, and duets and quartets between the soloists, it has a heartrending, pleading intensity. The musicians conveyed a sense of wrestling with mortality.
Here, the voice of Randem came to the fore, making the high notes appear effortless. Appl, Jackson and Pancrazi blended beautifully together and shone in solo sections, giving a cohesive performance between them.
All in all, it was a wonderful rendition of the Requiem and a well-chosen collection of music. Parts of the audience were on their feet in appreciation as the concert closed.
For future productions and performances, view Liverpool Philharmonic’s website here.
Reviewer: Ezzy LaBelle
Reviewed: 18th February 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★