thu 28/03/2024

LPO, Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall | reviews, news & interviews

LPO, Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall

LPO, Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall

A classic concert from Jurowski invests an old favourite with new insight

Vladimir Jurowski: Sensitive programming takes us triumphantly back to where it all began

It was with Mahler’s Opus 1 – folkloric cantata Das klagende lied – that Vladimir Jurowski so memorably launched his role as the LPO’s principal conductor, and it was to this work that he returned last night. Four years on and he asked his audience to consider it within a rather different narrative; in lieu of an arc of Germanic development, moving from Wagner’s Parsifal Prelude to Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra, Jurowski instead framed it with Hungarian works from Bartók and Ligeti. While the dialogue between these three exploratory pieces may have been more oblique, Jurowski’s highly coloured reading of the Mahler remained briskly direct.

It was with Mahler’s Opus 1 – folkloric cantata Das klagende lied – that Vladimir Jurowski so memorably launched his role as the LPO’s principal conductor, and it was to this work that he returned last night. Four years on and he asked his audience to consider it within a rather different narrative; in lieu of an arc of Germanic development, moving from Wagner’s Parsifal Prelude to Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra, Jurowski instead framed it with Hungarian works from Bartók and Ligeti. While the dialogue between these three exploratory pieces may have been more oblique, Jurowski’s highly coloured reading of the Mahler remained briskly direct.

Kelemen is most at home in a fist fight against technical foes, vanquishing virtuoso passages of double-stopping and passagework with aplomb

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In my opinion, Barnabas Kelemen's performance of Bartok's concerto last night was not only moving and wonderfully individual. It showed a complete understanding of the narrative- listening to him was almost like reading a novel. He is a musician of a great integrity, discipline and sincerity. Bravissimo!

Barnabas Kelemen 'nailed' the Bartok - I thought it was full of character and vigour, and I loved it. He totally understands what it means to communicate with the audience through his playing. Yes, there may be other soloists out there with a more precise sostenuto line (I did think in the opening minutes, uh-oh, Hilary Hahn could teach you a thing or two!!), but by the second movement his projection of the legato lines matched the fast finger fireworks!! Electrifying. I can't wait to watch/hear him again.

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