A packed house as always welcomed the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to one of their regular second homes, Northampton’s Royal and Derngate, on Saturday night for a programme of three much-loved, passionate pieces of classical music. It’s always a delight and a privilege to see them there.
Our conductor for the evening was Antonello Manacorda, the epitome of Italian elegance and authority, but with an affinity for the Germanic. His conducting style is very enthusiastic, bouncing off his shiny patent leather toes to stretch far forward to reach those musicians at the back of the stage, constantly cajoling the whole orchestra to give of their best – and it works wonders.
The evening started with a superb musical amuse bouche – the six minutes of Mozart’s Magic Flute Overture, K.620. It’s a relatively tiny piece of music but it’s crammed with so much energy and vitality, full of wonderful tunes – as well as its famously Masonic symbolism – that really pack a punch. A terrific start.
We then welcomed our soloist for the evening, Johan Dalene, for Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. It should be a crime that someone so young can be so talented, and 24 year old Mr Dalene beamed onto the stage looking truly delighted to be there. The Violin Concerto hits the ground running with its instantly captivating main theme, and Mr Dalene tackled the whole concerto from memory, making something so technically brilliant look so easy. The clarity and purity of his playing is most impressive; even though the piece is often played at a fast and furious pace, he ensures you catch and savour every individual note. And when Mr Dalene plays, the audience sits up and takes notice – he demands our profound silence and attention.
The programme notes tell us he plays the 1725 Duke of Cambridge Stradivarius, an instrument of glorious warmth and tone, which itself has had a fascinating history over the years. The support from the orchestra was outstanding, as you would expect; you could clearly see a true understanding between the soloist and conductor that enhanced the piece even more. That subtly bold moment where the first movement links to the rest of the piece with the plaintive bassoon was performed immaculately! An amazing performance.
After the interval, we returned for Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 6 in B minor, Op. 74, the Pathétique. Another powerful performance of a curiously structured symphony that features so many gripping melodies and exciting sequences, fooling the audience into thinking it has ended with the vivacious climax to the third movement, only then to wrap up with a very sombre adagio. Martin Riddell led the orchestra through all its passionate playing, with tremendous performances from the brass and percussion in addition to all the other instruments. A riveting night of music, performed expertly and exquisitely; and the Royal Philharmonic will be back with three more concerts over the next year.