“an inspiring and uplifting evening”
LPO Principal Conductor Edward Gardner – Photo: Jason Bell
The atmosphere in the packed Royal Festival Hall was electric. The orchestra assembled slowly but surely, taking their positions, warming up their instruments. Then, as if by magic, Edward Gardner appeared – and before he conducted the evening, he welcomed us like old friends.
First – Samuel Barber. A twentieth-century composer from America. Crossing the divide between classical and contemporary. His 14-minute piece Medea’s Dance of Vengeance from 1955 was originally for a Martha Graham ballet based on Euripedes’ classic story. It is the climactic moment of the ballet and features a xylophone akin to Saint-Saëns’ Danse macabre. The piece itself reaches a climax that makes the spine tingle.
The buzz in the auditorium hadn’t quite died down when Gardner returned with the special guest of the evening: soprano Joyce DiDonato. She has performed on opera stages and with opera companies all around the world – and was gracing us with a performance of Hector Berlioz’s The Death of Cleopatra written in 1829. This 20-minute cantata is a soliloquy, the Egyptian Queen resolving to commit suicide on hearing about her consort Mark Antony’s defeat in battle. It is dramatic and powerful. Towards the end, she clearly acts out the snake biting her arm as the music envelops her. A child behind me whispered, ‘Is she going to die?’ As if to answer her, the double basses become her heartbeat and they grow in strength, then slow down. They recede in volume and pace until there is silence. Superb.
The second half of the evening was a performance in full of Beethoven’s Symphony No.3 in E flat major – or Eroica to lesser mortals. Written between 1803 and 1805, it was for and inspired by the young Napoleon Bonaparte. Once Bonaparte declared himself Emperor, Beethoven removed the man’s name from the head of the score as Napoleon’s actions didn’t chime with his libertarian stance.
Even though this was an inspiring and uplifting evening, it is only the start of the LPO’s 2024/25 Season. It also launches Moments Remembered, the theme running throughout the concerts and exploring the crossroads of music and memory. To come, a vast range of events at various venues around the country. Check out their website for details – https://lpo.org.uk/whats-on/
Concert Photography Mark Allen
Principal Conductor Edward Gardner
Artistic Director Elena Dubinets
Dates until Saturday 31st May 2025
Check with the LPO website for details
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