Perth Festival of the Arts: Royal Northern Sinfonia

Ifyouw ant your Beethoven shaken and stirred, given an injection of vavavoom without once detracting from the quality of music supplied, then the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Lars Vogt is just for you.

I’d heard this wonderful combination – orchestra, conductor and composer – last year and their heralded appearance at this year’s Perth Festival was like a beacon to me.

I’m a confirmed Beethovian so Sunday’s concert in the Concert Hall of two piano concerti and one overture was an evening of sheer delight.

The concert opened with the Prometheus Overture, a slow burner that once alight bursts into life, gathers pace and eventually climaxes after five minutes of excellence. It’s the ideal curtainraiser.

Thereafter, the concert threw up something of a conundrum.

I expected the magnificent fifth concerto, the Emperor, to hold sway but in going head-to-head with his first concerto meant a very close call.

The Op 15 concerto has lots going for it and Vogt explored and pinpointed every wonderful facet. It has a second movement of outstanding beauty but the whole work gives you a perfect indication of Beethoven edging away from the influences of Haydn and Mozart.

Vogt’s dynamic interpretation added some spice to this marvellous work which is unfairly overshadowed by the more popular 3rd, 4th and 5th concerti.

Not that the Emperor lacked anything and Vogt’s exiting take on the proceedings yielded much excitement. His isn’t a gung-ho, devil-take-the-hindmost attitude, as his force can be contained and he can drop the intensity whenever the music dictates.

It was the Lars Vogt show, of that there is no doubt, but he couldn’t have pulled off such a world class performance without the admirable backing of the Sinfonia.

They’ve only been a unit for three years, but the telepathic bond they’ve built up is something to behold.