Conductor: Gemma New
Soloist: Nicolas Altstaedt (Cello)
It would have been easy to overlook that Gemma New is a late addition to the evening after Elim Chan withdrew through illness, as the New Zealand conductor delivers a lively, expressive and purposeful reading that unifies a wide-ranging programme.
Opening with the UK premiere of Contested Eden by Gabriela Lena Frank, the orchestra establishes a tone of immediacy and introspection. Written in response to the devastating Californian wildfires, the piece’s two movements, Canto para California and In Extremis, unfold as both a lament and an act of resilience. New shapes Frank’s vivid orchestral textures with clarity, allowing solo voices to emerge from the ensemble without sentimentality. Its quiet optimism at the close lingers long after the final note, carrying with it a message of hope amid the challenges to come.
William Walton’s Cello Concerto showcases Nicolas Altstaedt’s versatility and command. Wearing socks but no shoes and a loose, all-black outfit, Altstaedt’s relaxed appearance belies a performance of commanding precision. His opening phrases glow with intimacy before opening into expansive lyricism, deftly supported by New’s sensitive pacing. The jittery scherzo and the finale’s free-flowing improvisations are beautifully handled, culminating in a poised, luminous conclusion. Altstaedt’s rapport with the orchestra is palpable, a dialogue rather than a display. In his day, Walton was described at times as “radically refreshing” and at others “a bit too traditional”. The truth is he just followed his instincts, and almost 70 years later, this concerto, a celebration of his marriage, is as fresh and relevant as it ever was.
After the interval, selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet bring theatrical intensity and orchestral colour to the fore. From the stately menace of Montagues and Capulets to the tender transparency of Juliet as a Young Girl, New reveals the score’s shifting moods without resorting to excess. The closing scenes – Romeo and Juliet Before Parting and At Juliet’s Tomb – are rendered with aching restraint, the strings glowing beneath Prokofiev’s haunting harmonies. At first declared “undanceable”, over time it has come to enter the repertoire of every major ballet company in the world, and for very good reason. It has an “unusual and marvellous rhythm” that captures the tragic young lovers elegantly.
This is an evening that balances precision with emotional depth. New’s interpretation and the orchestra’s technical brilliance make for a compelling partnership. If Contested Eden feels slightly extended in its reflective passages, the evening as a whole reaffirms the LPO’s willingness to champion contemporary voices alongside canonical drama.
Reviewed on 12 November 2025
