In Concert 17th July: BPO/Petrenko
Lisa Batiashvili, was the sweet-toned soloist in Karol Szymanowski’s passionate, exotic Violin Concerto No 1 which successfully integrates influences from home and away, ranging from Bartok's finely-spun night music, through sudden rich brass textures reminding one of R. Strauss's tone poem to luscious climaxes familiar to lovers of Korngold's opera 'Die Tote Stadt'. The score features amongst my favourite 20th century Violin Concerti. (You may like to identify the others: Ba#2,Be, Sh#1 & St.)
The performance was splendid with excellently tuned, stratospheric lines from Lisa, a 'listening' orchestra supported by a sympathetic and accommodating conductor.
The Szymanowski was preceded by Brahms' Tragic overture in a rather routine performance.
I was amused to learn that the Isle of Wight, a regular holiday location in my youth, provided the initial inspiration for the 'no holds barred' bedroom antics of Strauss's Sinfonia
Domestica
. It will take more than the BPO and its Chief Conductor to convince me that the work is a masterpiece.
The performance was splendid with excellently tuned, stratospheric lines from Lisa, a 'listening' orchestra supported by a sympathetic and accommodating conductor.
The Szymanowski was preceded by Brahms' Tragic overture in a rather routine performance.
I was amused to learn that the Isle of Wight, a regular holiday location in my youth, provided the initial inspiration for the 'no holds barred' bedroom antics of Strauss's Sinfonia
Domestica
. It will take more than the BPO and its Chief Conductor to convince me that the work is a masterpiece.
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