Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Archives

Sibelius Symphony No. 5 – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

13Oct

By Johanna RobertsNo Comments

North West

Sibelius Symphony No. 5 – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

This evening’s concert at the Philharmonic, with the orchestra ably led by conductor Geoffrey Paterson, was a clear demonstration of the importance of and the Philharmonic’s commitment to offering new or lesser-known pieces alongside those more familiar to or popular with audiences. The performance opened with a short piece –Boccherino’s Ritirata notturna de Madrid, composed in 1780 to evoke the sounds of the band passing as the City Watch retired from the streets. Nearly two centuries later, Luciano Berios superimposed Boccherino’s different arrangements of his original piece to create a new work that retains the essential elements of Boccherino’s music but with a modern twist. The audience heard the sound develop from the quiet roll of the drum with the gradual introduction of the dif...

22Mar

By Johanna RobertsNo Comments

North West

Erocia – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

‘Dazzling’ was the first word that came to mind as Veronika Eberle played Beethoven’s violin concerto with the RLPO last night, but others, such as ‘breathtaking’ and extraordinary’ were not far behind. Despite an initially poor reception at its premiere in 1806, Beethoven’s concerto has since been acknowledged as one of the greatest pieces for the instrument. The orchestra, under Hindoyan’s direction, from the delicacy of the first five beats of the timpani to the final dramatic conclusion moved seamlessly from the tension of the rising scales to filigree lightness in the quieter sections, highlighting the relationship between orchestra and soloist. Eberle more than does justice to the music’s melodic lyricism with a tone that is both pure and warm and a virtuosity that, while demonstrati...

14Jan

By Johanna RobertsNo Comments

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 ...

An American in Paris – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

15Nov

By Johanna RobertsNo Comments

North West

An American in Paris – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

Danny Elfman, best known for his scores to a wide range of films and, perhaps most recognizable of all, the theme tune to The Simpsons, has long been an admirer of Scottish virtuous percussionist Colin Currie, whom Steve Riech has described as ‘one of the greatest musicians in the world today’. This evening’s performance of the Percussion Concerto underlined why he is so deserving of such accolades. Percussionists are the goalkeepers of the orchestra world with many minutes of intense concentration while waiting to make an essential contribution to the overall performance. Here, however, the percussion section takes centre stage, with Currie playing an incredible range of instruments, ably supported by the Philharmonic’s percussionists. The cinematic quality of Elfman’s compositions was re...

Close Up Concert – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

28Oct

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

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Close Up Concert – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

This concert in the intimate surroundings of the fantastic Music Room at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall features the outstanding UK clarinettist Julian Bliss accompanied by the excellent pianist James Baillieu. The concert included five superb pieces of music written for clarinet and piano. Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for clarinet and piano (1962) is a short, energetic, and quite dazzling piece. In three movements, Poulenc’s sonata simply soars and brings a whole new meaning to the word melodic – the second slow movement is absolutely beautiful, and Bliss really shows us why he is one of the UK’s first and foremost exponents of the clarinet. Claude Debussy’s Premiere Rapsodie (First Rhapsody) (1910) is a sublime and exhilarating piece of music and altho...

Beethoven’s Eroica – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

2Apr

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

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Beethoven’s Eroica – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

The historical and the heroic meet for an evening of bold musical flavours and a mixture of melodies as the Philharmonic Orchestra take you on a journey of strife, struggle, freedom and fervour. Blending the new and the familiar, conductor Joshua Weilerstein leads the auditorium through renditions of 'Ethiopia's Shadow in America' (Florence Price), Violin Concerto (Samuel Barber) and Symphony no.3 'Eroica (Ludwig Van Beethoven). The enthusiasm for the music is clear as he steps out. Passionately describing the background to Florence Price's 1932 symphony, he tells us that she was one of the first female black composers to have their work published and played to an audience. Much of her work was lost for a long time, being rediscovered in 2009, and has therefore not been heard. ...

Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3 – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

3Mar

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3 – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

Stunningly absorbing, this performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.3 conducted by Domingo Hindoyan is unmissable. Considered as an archetype showpiece, the concerto is renowned for being a challenge and demands technical prowess - pianist Sergio Tiempo rises to this and more, demonstrating what a maestro he is. Composed in the summer of 1909, the concerto is composed for a solo piano and an orchestra. It is split into three sections and this performance takes all three of those on with barely sixty seconds between each. This is a performance of endurance as well as technical mastery. Sergio Tiempo was not originally billed to perform tonight, making his playing all the more impressive. Throughout most of his playing, he subtly smiles and loses himself in the intensity of pl...

<strong>Seascapes and Mountains: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic</strong>

9Nov

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Seascapes and Mountains: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

On a grey, drizzly day in the city, a packed Philharmonic Hall is ready to escape the gloom outside for an aural expedition that will take us from the wilds of the Scottish Hebrides to the heights of Swiss Alps. Conductor Laureate (and ‘honorary Scouser’ as of 2009) Vasily Petrenko is greeted like an all-conquering hero and doesn’t hesitate to whisk us off on the first part of our journey as the familiar strains of Mendelssohn’ Hebrides overture, ‘Fingal’s Cave’ fill the hall. Petrenko is so ‘at one’ with his orchestra, it’s as if he never left. The magnificent harmonies swell together to bring the vast arches and columns of Staffa’s famous sea cave, and Mendelssohn’s musical inspiration, to life. The swaying of conductor and orchestra alike mirrors the waves that one can picture cra...

Souvenir De Florence – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

18Oct

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Souvenir De Florence – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

This delightful concert in the Close-Up series features musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. The ensemble consists of: Thelma Handy- violin Sarah Brandwood-Spencer- violin Alex Mitchell- viola Gwendolyn Cawdron- viola Jonathan Aasgaard- cello Alexander Holladay- cello The evening comprises of three pieces of superlative chamber music. Vaughan Williams Phantasy Quintet (1912) is probably one of Williams most lyrical and moving compositions. Its melody positively soars over the course of four short movements. There is an overriding theme of contemplation that runs throughout each movement. It is a truly beautiful piece of music and the ensemble play this with great finesse and precision. Exquisite. Martinu String Sextet (1932) is a more mod...