Before the first notes sounded, the atmosphere in a full Philharmonic Hall was electric. On walking on to the platform the admiration from the Liverpudlian audience was clear for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s Conductor Laureate Vasily Petrenko. Opening the evening was a rarity, Lyadov’s short, but enchanting tone poem Kikamora. Telling a mystical tale, Petrenko wove the story with magic and awe. Hushed pianissimos created a breathlessness as enchanted cor anglais solos created a bewitching atmosphere.
Christian Li, just 15 years old, joined the orchestra for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Li’s stature may be slight but his musical presence was enormous. His interpretation is understandably still at the beginning of his journey with the work, however he drew the listener in. Conventionally paced, Li displayed a range of bold and bright primary colours; subtlety and gradation of light and shade were noticeable but very much in their infancy. Petrenko followed his soloist sympathetically; in the first movement there were a couple of occasions when the orchestra overpowered Li, but this was soon rectified and the RLPO became the ideal accompanists.
Each of his phrases in the first movement had individuality, but transitions from one to the other lacked a little in subtlety. In the central Canzonetta, Li’s musicality was at its most communicative, capturing the melancholy mood, making this a song without words. What stood out in the finale was Li's tone on his 1737 Guarneri. On the lowest G string, the tone was simply beautiful and the range and speeds of vibrato were highly expressive. The staggering technical skill of this young person is remarkable.
After the interval came the epic journey that depicts the events in St Petersburg in 1905 in Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony. Petrenko's recording of this work, with this orchestra, has already set a high bar, but actually experiencing it live, with the deep insights Petrenko has for the work, plus the RLPO's set of ‘Forever Bells’, intensified the musical impact.
The Palace Square opening movement opened with an innocence, as if the story was being told before our eyes and ears. Petrenko did something remarkable, making dissonances sound like consonances and resolution feel like tension as he carefully unfolded this almost cinematic symphony. In the second movement, subtitled The 9th of January, the range of dynamics and articulation was incredibly nuanced, but without sounding fussy. Time stood still in the third movement (Eternal Memory) as Petrenko captured the pathos. The recap of the opening in the Tocsin finale was done with heartbreaking agony and sensitivity. The church bells brought their own authenticity, adding substantial impact to the closing bars and resonating after the orchestra had fallen silent. This was a phenomenal performance with a communicative might that was both musically and emotionally draining.
There is much to be said for the model of overture–concerto–symphony in creating a great programme which, in part, contributed hugely to the success of the evening. However, the bond the RLPO musicians have with Petrenko ensures they always give him 110%, as they did here once again.
