Philharmonia Orchestra, Petrenko, Royal Festival Hall | reviews, news & interviews
Philharmonia Orchestra, Petrenko, Royal Festival Hall
Philharmonia Orchestra, Petrenko, Royal Festival Hall
Petrenko's thrilling Shostakovich strips away all ambivalence
Friday, 13 November 2009
Vasily Petrenko: the Russian Scouser storms London
It is quickly apparent when you are in the company of exceptional talent. In even the most hackneyed repertoire nothing is quite as you expect it to be: there’s a charge in the air, phrasings take on a different urgency, textures are opened up and newly revealed. And on this night, certain revelations concerning Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony were, under the exciting baton of Vasily Petrenko, no longer conjecture but irrefutable fact.
It is quickly apparent when you are in the company of exceptional talent. In even the most hackneyed repertoire nothing is quite as you expect it to be: there’s a charge in the air, phrasings take on a different urgency, textures are opened up and newly revealed. And on this night, certain revelations concerning Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony were, under the exciting baton of Vasily Petrenko, no longer conjecture but irrefutable fact.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Classical music
The Orchestral Forest, Smith Square Hall review - living the orchestra from the inside
Immersive concert explores the plight of the British rainforest through music
First Person: Bob Riley on Manchester Camerata's championship of a Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia
Making a difference out of the musical ghetto
Aurora Orchestra, Collon, Drumsheds review - surround-sound magic in the super-club
On a vast dancefloor, the chance to listen from inside the orchestra
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, Wigmore Hall review - warm and colourful Bartók and Brahms
Versatile chamber ensemble excels in clarinet-focused repertoire
Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber, Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford review - an unforgettable recital
The great German baritone in glorious voice at the Oxford International Song Festival
Kanneh-Mason, Sinfonia of London, Wilson, Barbican review - taking the roof off the Barbican
From musical also-rans to main event, culminating in a stunning Rachmaninov symphony
Music from Pole to Pole, Clark, City of London Sinfonia, Smith Square Hall review - talk of clouds, music to match
Inspired evening journeying from the Antarctic to the Arctic through patterns in the air
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, Hatfield House review - musical dreams in marble halls
Stylish, agile playing in the grandest of frames
Music Reissues Weekly: Arvo Pärt - Tabula Rasa
A foundational album returns
Classical CDs: Elephants, clocks and palindromes
A lovable French composer boxed up, plus discs of choral and chamber music
Kanga, Manchester Collective, Singh, RNCM Manchester review - string ensemble playing at its most rewarding
New classics introduced and a world premiere with a dark story
Hardenberger, BBC Philharmonic, Storgårds, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - splendour and a trumpeter's voluntary
Individuality and discipline in Strauss, Stravinsky, Haydn… and more
Add comment