Work: Images, for orchestra: Rondes de printemps

Mixed performances from Poole but with an unforgettable Symphonie fantastique that was both illuminating and electrifying.

A typically adventurous programme "curated" by Esa-Pekka Salonen paired Boulez with Debussy. 

The latest Sydney Symphony Orchestra concert had everything from French impressionism to a world premiere, to a performance of a much-loved Romantic Symphony. The evening opened with two movements from Debussy’s Images for orchestra. Written originally as a set of three movements, they stand equally well on their own.

Prom 10 was a heady mix of Franco-Spanish music, from Debussy’s evocative Images for orchestra to Manual de Falla’s exotic Nights in the Gardens of Spain, all under the baton, appropriately, of Basque-born conductor Juanjo Mena, who takes over as Chief Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in September.

Les attentes du concert d’intronisation de Jonathan Nott à la tête de l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande auront certainement un peu pesé sur un concert qui fut bon dans l’ensemble mais ne décollera jamais vraiment. Wait and see…