Friday, December 5

Tag: Philharmonic Hall

A Waltz on the Edge: RLPO’s Dance Through Darkness and Disquiet – Philharmonic Hall Liverpool
North West

A Waltz on the Edge: RLPO’s Dance Through Darkness and Disquiet – Philharmonic Hall Liverpool

On a wet and blustery autumnal evening, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Alpesh Chauhan, delivered a programme rich in colour, rhythm and emotional depth. Yet despite the brilliance of individual works and performances, the evening’s structure felt somewhat episodic — a sequence of vivid tableaux rather than a unified narrative. One couldn’t help but wish for a meaty Romantic symphony to provide a longer-form canvas for Chauhan’s storytelling instincts. Chauhan himself was a compelling presence on the podium — energetic, light-footed, and physically expressive. In La Valse, he launched himself from the handrail with a heel-toe-leap flourish that mirrored the music’s swirling intensity. His command of rhythm and texture was evident throughout, and his rappor...
Season Opening Concert: Dream Team at Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
North West

Season Opening Concert: Dream Team at Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s season began tonight with a bold statement of intent by conductor Domingo Hindoyan, who welcomed the audience to the new season by asking them to “Cheer new composers and composers you’ve never heard of before in your life” as well as enjoying old favourites, and it is a mark of Hindoyan’s talent that while new pieces are clearly exciting and innovative, he can make familiar pieces seem fresh and draw out new insights from the orchestra. Tonight’s concert was no exception, demonstrating an orchestra and conductor at the height of their powers. The programme was very similar to that of the orchestra’s offering at the BBC proms this year, with the one change being Roldán’s La Remambaramba as the opening piece. The work by the Afro-Cuban compose...
Handel’s Messiah – Philharmonic Hall
North West

Handel’s Messiah – Philharmonic Hall

What better way to shake of the Christmas/New Year blues than with the performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in a tradition dating back to 1849. Handel composed the oratorio in a mere 24 days in 1741, but despite a warm reception at its premiere in Dublin, it received a cooler response at its subsequent performance in London. Nonetheless, it has since become one of the jewels of English classical music, and the light shone upon it by each conductor reveals new facets and highlights different elements, and it never fails to sparkle. Photo: Gareth Jones This year’s performance saw baritone Ben Appl, a former BBC New Generation Artist (2014-16) and current Artist in Residence at the Philharmonic, making his conducting debut. He introduced the piece ...