Lost in music with passionate performances

London Philharmonic Orchestra, St David’s Hall, Cardiff ★★★★★

THERE is always an atmosphere of eager anticipation at the start of the International Concert Series, with its promise of several months of magical music.

This opening concert got the series off to a scintillating start, showcasing the talents of an inspiring conductor and a gifted pianist.

The theory that tortured souls produce enduring art was put to the test at this concert, which programmed Tchaikovsky’s intense exploration of fate – his fifth symphony – with Chopin’s lyrically passionate Piano Concerto No 2.

Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra guided the London Philharmonic Orchestra through the emotional peaks and troughs of Tchaikovsky’s penultimate symphony with great sensitivity and understanding.

Benjamin Grosvenor brought similar musical intelligence and sensitivity to his interpretation of the Chopin concerto. He caught and held the attention of the large audience from the first note. There was a controlled intensity to his playing of the outer movements, enhanced by de la Parra and the orchestra who dug deep to discover unexpected subtlety in Chopin’s rather wooden orchestration. But it was Mr Grosvenor’s heartfelt realisation of the slow movement that lifted this performance above the ordinary. He was lost in the music, as were we. One hardly noticed Mr Grosvenor as he immersed himself in the music.

The same could not be said of Alondra de la Parra as she strode onto the stage to take control of the orchestra for the second half performance of Tchaikovsky’s fifth symphony. Her conducting style is dynamic, to say the least. She uses every inch of the podium to urge, cajole and inspire the orchestra to give their all to the performance.

This was a passionate performance of a well-known work which was peppered with fresh insights, not least in several passages for the brass and woodwind sections. Rarely can any orchestra have performed the movement better than this.

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