Thursday, May 22

Tag: Domingo Hindoyan

Highlights from Wagner’s Ring Cycle in Concert – Liverpool Philharmonic
North West

Highlights from Wagner’s Ring Cycle in Concert – Liverpool Philharmonic

Wagner’s monumental Ring cycle, often described as a feat of artistic ambition and endurance, was distilled into a thrilling concert experience at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall last night with soprano Elena Pankratova under the assured baton of Domingo Hindoyan.  This handpicked journey through the Ring brought drama, grandeur and pathos to life in a way that transcended the absence of sets and staging. But it was far from a bare stage. No fewer than six harps, four Wagner tubas, and an expanded instrumental palette that included bass clarinet, contrabassoon, bass trumpet and contrabass trombone made it clear: Wagner liked his low notes. The evening opened with the Entry of the Gods into Valhalla from Das Rheingold, a piece that shimmered with prophetic splendour. Hindoy...
Mahler Symphony No. 3 – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
North West

Mahler Symphony No. 3 – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

While I’m familiar with Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 from recordings, this was my first time hearing the concert played live, so I was curious as to what the difference would be. Put simply, the difference was astonishing. The symphony is frequently described as ‘epic’, and the sheer size of the orchestra on the stage at the Philharmonic Hall was an indication of what was in store with an air of excited anticipation in the hall. Lasting approximately 90 minutes, the work is divided into six movements, with the central movements bookended by monolithic first and final movements. Mahler’s aim was to reflect on man’s relationship with the natural world, and initially, each movement had a title intimating its focus. While these are useful as guides, it is perhaps better to meet the music on i...
Ensemble 10:10 – Tung Auditorium
North West

Ensemble 10:10 – Tung Auditorium

The audience at the Tung Auditorium were treated to what can only be described as a remarkable concert with several notable firsts. This was Domingo Hindoyan’s debut conducting Ensemble 10:10. Ensemble 10:10, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022 and became resident at the Tung Auditorium in the same year, was established by members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to showcase new music and to offer support to new composers, particularly those from the North West. With this in mind, last night’s concert began with the world premiere of a piece by Sam Kane, winner of the Rushworth Composition Prize in 2023. The Rushworth Foundation set up the prize in 2015 to nurture new talent and to support the commissioning and performance of new music. Danu’s Rhapsody demonstrates K...
Domingo Hindoyan’s Bruckner – Liverpool Philharmonic
North West

Domingo Hindoyan’s Bruckner – Liverpool Philharmonic

This week, Liverpool’s famous youthful talent took to a prestigious stage and celebrated great success with a charismatic grey-haired leader.  No, not Carabao Cup-winning Liverpool FC with their academy starlets under Jurgen Klopp, but the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra under former percussionist and ‘the scouser in our team’ Sir Simon Rattle. But on Thursday night it was the seasoned pros of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra who celebrated the music of two composers who showed that talent can materialise at either end of the age spectrum.  On the one hand, the Violin Concerto by prodigious child prodigy-turned-Hollywood-star-composer Erich Korngold, and on the other the monumental Seventh Symphony by Anton Bruckner, who was in his late 50s by the time he bega...
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Season Opening Concert – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
North West

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Season Opening Concert – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Domingo Hindoyan’s second season as Chief Conductor started in fine style with a programme of Central European masterpieces, with Janáček’s mighty orchestral Sinfonietta paired with Mahler’s heavenly song-symphony to herald – with trumpets and sleighbells respectively – the musical delights to come, including the Liverpool debut of the brilliant Czech soprano, Kateřina Kněžíková. Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) composed his Sinfonietta in 1926 with its first performance on 26th June of that year in Prague. A passionate and deeply patriotic Czech, he was thrilled when his homeland achieved independence at the end of World War I and dedicated the piece to the new Czech Army in celebration of ‘contemporary free man, his spiritual beauty and joy, his strength, courage, and determination to fight f...