Revelling in the UK premiere of American composer Gabriela Lena Frank’s Contested Eden, the London Philharmonic Orchestra brought a vivid Hollywood intensity from the very beginning. An environmental activist, Frank composed the piece in response to Californian wildfires that swept through her home state. Canto para California was a lyrical first movement that awakened from a place of stillness, delivered with precision as a lament. But it was in the second movement In extremis that Contested Eden shone, vividly building from violin to bass in a manner reminiscent of silent-movie scores. At its apex the movement was dramatic, the wind section entering with stridence and the orchestra rising to a pounding resonance. The piece ended on a still note of hope, showcasing a storytelling arc that left the Royal Festival Hall quietly awed.
Off-book and in complete command of his subject, German-French cellist Nicolas Altstaedt delivered William Walton’s Cello Concerto with stylish aplomb. He performed with impeccable timing and passion, offering languid flourishes in the Moderato and staccato precision in the Scherzo. At times some of the nimbler work was lost in the swell of the LPO behind him in the third and final movement, but again the orchestra gave a theatrical and intimate performance leading to an elegant, resonant close.
The LPO finished the evening with scenes from Prokofiev’s bombastic Romeo and Juliet, which once again served as a reminder that Romeo and Juliet is only marginally about Romeo and Juliet. Launching with the militaristic violence and foreboding of the Montagues and Capulets, the orchestra under Gemma New showcased delicate themes in Juliet as a Young Girl, moving to the languid processional of Friar Lawrence.
After a twinkling Masked Ball and the lovers’ gentle awakening at sunrise, the evening took another dramatic turn for the death of Tybalt. Percussive rolls, clashing cymbals and rapid string work brought the theatre to life in an extremely exciting few minutes, followed by the swelling tenderness of a love duet and the almost Gothic horror of the deaths in the tomb. Once again, the LPO brought the piece to a closing note of sombre stillness, giving a glimmer of hope after the drama with an end to the feud.
The three pieces were skilfully and charismatically brought together by New, who stepped in for Elim Chan and showed brilliant attention to detail and dynamics. The evening with the LPO may as well have been an evening at the cinema: an exhilarating five-star night of high-stakes theatre and redemptive arcs.
