LondonMusicReview

LPO: Moments Remembered – Strauss, Berg and Brahms – Southbank Centre, London

Reviewer: Harry Conway

Conductor: Edward Gardner

London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Moments Remembered series running at the Southbank Centre aims to tackle the themes of memory, nostalgia and longing throughout the 2024/25 season, showcasing the unique power music can play in expressing and evoking these aspects of the human psyche. For this purpose, an evening featuring the best of the German Romantic tradition proves an ideal choice.

Starting with Strauss’ Metamorphosen, the stage is empty of all but strings and the mood created leans into something strange and alien that still never loses its affecting character. It’s a sublime piece that somehow manages to slip past easy categorisation, constantly flowing and turning, at all moments ready to burst but somehow staying under control. Throughout it tenses toward a crescendo, which, at its heights, Orchestra Leader Pieter Schoeman is a virtuoso standout, but then, of all things, it ends on hushed notes. A complex piece, and all the more memorable for it.

The Violin Concerto by Berg that follows seems selected to defy this, immediately featuring a much fuller orchestra, and yet with this greater life comes the same strong focus on strings. Highly acclaimed guest violinist Isabelle Faust delivers the highlight of the night as she showcases finesse and force in equal measure, mastering the concerto with delicate but deliberate force, her physical performance as she plays as captivating as the music she produces – almost more opera than recital.

Ending the night is Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D major, which again shares features with its predecessors while still leaving its distinct mark. The strange wondering and dramatic highs of the prior pieces are replaced here by more comforting melodies and swells of bass and brass that have a velvet regality. In particular, the stronger emphasis on horns and flutes, particularly from the talented Juliette Bausor and Ellie Blamires, lend the end of the evening a playful and invigorating tone.

It’s the ideal note to conclude an evening of thoughtfully selected and masterfully performed music. The London Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world’s foremost orchestras, and nights like this demonstrate precisely why that is.

Reviewed on 15 January 2025

The Reviews Hub Score

A Consummate Performance

Show More
Photo of The Reviews Hub - London

The Reviews Hub - London

The Reviews Hub London is under the editorship of Richard Maguire. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button
The Reviews Hub