Conductor: Edward Gardner
Violin: James Ehnes
The evening opens with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, comprising three movements: Allegro ma non troppo, Larghetto, and Rondo: Allegro. Beethoven’s only complete violin concerto famously received a lukewarm reception at its 1806 premiere, but you would never have guessed that from the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s compelling and confident performance.
Soloist James Ehnes proves a perfect match for the orchestra, his playing seamlessly interweaving with the ensemble, particularly in the composed echo and responses. The opening movement begins with soft timpani and sweeping oboes before deepening into a darker, almost menacing undercurrent. Beethoven’s masterful contrasts between sweetness and intensity keep the performance dynamic throughout.
The Larghetto provides a change of pace, showcasing Ehnes’s extraordinary control and sensitivity. His ability to sustain even the softest high note with clarity fills the Royal Festival Hall with quiet awe. The Rondo: Allegro concludes the concerto, closing on a satisfying flourish that earns a well-deserved encore. Choosing Bach’s Partita for Violin No. 3 in E major, Ehne stuns for a final time with his sheer skill.
After the interval, the orchestra and London Philharmonic Choir turn to John Adams’ Harmonium (1980), which is a vast, atmospheric choral work set to three poems: John Donne’s Negative Love and Emily Dickinson’s Because I Could Not Stop for Death and Wild Nights.
The performance opens with Negative Love, where flutes and sopranos join forces to create an ethereal tone. Adams’s composition moves fluidly between the lightness of higher notes and shadow from the minor key. Between the two stanzas, there is a flurry of violins, and the use of canon at the beginning of the second verse adds a choral dynamism to the piece.
Because I Could Not Stop for Death highlights the lower voices, shifting the mood towards something more solemn. The gradual layering of timpani, French horn and harp creates a growing tension that builds seamlessly. As the piece picks up speed, we see the unusual cow bells come in as well as the tuba and double bass, adding momentum to what then crashes into Wild Nights (quite literally with the cymbals).
Harmonium uses a full array of percussion and even bugles to add instrumental texture. It’s a feast for the eyes, connecting the dots of all these instruments and the piece steams ahead full force to an epic finale before effortlessly fading into the suspended Festival Hall air.
Reviewed on 8 November 2025
