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SEEN AND HEARD UK CONCERT REVIEW
Stravinsky,
Finzi, Shostakovich, Delius: Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton (conductor & piano soloist). Guild Hall,
Preston 1.2.2011 (MC)
Stravinsky: Circus Polka (1942/44)
Finzi: Eclogue for piano and strings (1925/29, rev. 1940s)
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No.2 (1957)
Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring (1912)
Stravinsky: Firebird Suite
(1945)
At first sight this programme of music from English and Russian born composers
seemed to go together as well as ice-cream and sardines. Appearances can be
deceptive as this was one of the most enjoyable concerts I have heard for some
time. It began with the Circus Polka was
originally composed by Stravinsky for George Balanchine’s unlikely ballet
production featuring fifty young elephants and fifty ballerinas at the Barnum &
Bailey Circus. Stravinsky’s frivolous orchestral score made a stirring curtain
raiser.
The title ‘Eclogue’ is the name that a publisher gave to the reworked
slow movement of Finzi’s abandoned piano concerto. As piano soloist and director
Andrew Litton with eloquence and purity did full justice to this beautifully
crafted bucolic dreamscape. Cleverly orchestrated,
the popular and joyous Piano Concerto No.2 demonstrates that
Shostakovich didn’t excel only when writing darkly and bitterly serious music.
Once again directing from the piano the assured Litton obtained glowing keyboard
colour in abundance. The spiky martial rhythms of the buoyant opening Allegro
contrasted starkly with the captivating romanticism and ravishing melodies
of the sublime Andante. Litton’s punchy playing with heaps of momentum
brought the Finale to a thrilling close.
Delius composed his poem On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring whilst in
France weaving in the melody of a Norwegian folk tune. This attractively played
account from Litton and the Liverpool Phil was a convincing musical nature
portrait of an English spring morning. Enhancing the pastoral mood were the
refined and mellow contributions from the oboe, flute and clarinet and the
golden toned strings were simply glorious.
An early Stravinsky masterwork the Firebird Suite was the evening’s
centrepiece. We heard the 1945 concert suite that Stravinsky arranged from his
1910 score for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Under the direction of Andrew
Litton, the work that propelled Stravinsky to the brink of stardom was a
colourful and heady journey through a magical world of Russian fairy tales.
Simply sublime was the rendition of the bewitching Princess’s Round Dance.
With the woodwind impressing, the playing of the principal oboe was especially
stunning displaying a gorgeous reedy timbre. Led by a thunderous percussion I’ve
not heard the Finale played with such menacing force as Litton demanded
in this impressively dramatic reading.
Although the programme seemed a curious one each score was performed splendidly.
In the accomplished hands of Andrew Litton the Liverpool Phil concert was a
triumph.
Michael Cookson