The first half of this London Philharmonic Orchestra concert formed part of its “Moments Remembered” season, involving "a sideways look at what makes a classic: the Vivaldi-inspired Requiem for Orchestra by African-American composer Julia Perry (1924-79)", alongside Dead White Man Music (Concerto for Harpsichord and Chamber Ensemble) by Evan Williams (b. 1988), a "piece that discusses his own place in classical music as a young African-American composer".
Subtitled "Homage to Vivaldi", Perry’s Requiem for Orchestra from 1959 deploys strings, double winds, four horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba, harp and percussion. Some chromatic wailing suggested a Requiem perhaps, and chattering pizzicato strings hinted at Vivaldian motion. Themes were extended or shortened, moved faster then slower, and were even contrapuntally developed, but the abrupt close after little more than six minutes could not quite offer a sense of arrival or fulfilment.
Williams’s thirty-minute Dead White Man Music had more space to make its effect, even with just eleven players (two violins, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano). This balanced well the soft-voiced solo harpsichord (despite the instrument being attached to an amplifier), but one has heard better and more characterful instruments in this venue than harpsichordist Olga Pashchenko was given. The combination worked especially well in an evocative slow movement, drawing on the rather English melancholy of John Dowland, that built to an effective climax, the jazz sound of which arrived complete with squealing high clarinet. There was plenty of warm applause when the composer came forward to take his bow.
Liberated from the world’s elevators and cell-phones, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons still has a healthy life in the concert hall. The four scores are accompanied by four sonnets, perhaps written by the composer for they closely reflect the music, but no programme ever prints them, replacing these evocative 4 x 14 lines with the usual prosaic booklet descriptions. But there was nothing prosaic about this performance from the LPO strings, with conductor Richard Egarr in his more familiar place directing from the harpsichord, sharing continuo duties with Principal Cello Waynne Kwon. LPO co-leader Alice Ivy-Pemberton was the very impressive solo violinist.
It took some initial adjustment to listen to even a scaled-back symphonic string section (6.6.4.4.2) play this music so familiar from recordings and live concerts by small authentic instrument groups, using an historically informed (or "HIP") performance style. The very full sound at modern pitch announced we were in a new (well, old) world. Egarr was true to some of the HIP manner, including terraced dynamics and some curt phrase endings. But there were ritardandi approaching the close of movements, and some vibrato from orchestra and soloist. But with such skillful musicians, not least Ivy-Pemberton with her rapid bird-like trills and articulate passagework, the adjustment was easily made. Not least it was clear that, like the audience, the LPO players were thoroughly enjoying themselves – “where has this fabulous string writing been all our lives, while we were wading through Bruckner and Mahler?”
