This evening the hallowed Grade 2 listed Philharmonic Hall was alive with the sound of Romantic music from three countries. Under the baton of conductor Domingo Hindoyan, the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra started the concert with Josef Suk's lively and tuneful Scherzo Fantastique. This work, opus 25, first received a hearing in Prague in 1905, and although Suk is known within Czechia, he often gets overlooked on other county's concert platforms, which is a shame. Somehow he is often overshadowed by the more famous Dvorak and Smetana, both contempories of his.
Following this, and we moved swiftly from Central Europe up north to the lakes and forests of central Finland.. or Karelia to be more precise. The works of Sibelius are inextricably linked with the landscape, folklore, and customs of this once independant territory. Sibelius only wrote one violin concerto, and he poured so much of Karelia (and by affiliation, himself too) that it is almost impossible to listen to it without conjuring bleak snow-filled landscapes and hardy farmsteads of the late 19th century. I have seen this work performed where they showed photos of the Karelian landscape behind during the music, and this worked beautifully.... one truly understood both music and composer more fully. Perhaps that should be made de rigeur for many of the Romantic and early 20th century composers who blend their writings with what was around them and their love of their own country and people.
To play the violin solo this evening was Artist-in-Residence Simone Lamsma, who filled her part with passion and emotion, playing deftly and wowing this evening's appreciative audience.
After the interval and the concert's showpiece. We travel over the border from Finland into Russia, and to listen to one of the greatest composers to ever emerge from that country. A huge boast I know, since Russia has supplied the world with many fine composers, but Rachmaninov remains one of my favourites! His first symphony (which was what we were to listen to) received its premiere in St. Petersburg in 1897. However, despite all the odds it was not well received at all and it shattered Rachmaninov's confidence. Thankfully, not for long as he has given the world so much, but it seemed that Russia at that time was simply not ready for his modernism, brashness, unconformity, and indeed his musical irony. It is a wonderful piece of writing, and always a joy to listen to. The Liverpool Philharmonic went "all out" here too, raising ther own bar with this.
A fabulous concert.
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