Review: St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra – Royal Concert Hall

When walking into the Royal Concert Hall last night there was a noticeable difference in the diversity of the audience compared to other classical shows, the age range was from 4 to 84 and it was a full house with the choir seats opened up.

The first thing that caught my eye once I had taken my seat was a massive gong on stage, but then the lights dimmed as the orchestra appeared all dressed in black. It took them a fair while as there was a fair few of them so many so that the excited clapping of the audience fizzled out before all the musicians had a chance to take their places or even make it to the stage!

Then the lead violinist, Lev Klychkov, came on for his own raucous applause however, after tuning, it was nothing compared to appreciation for Conductor Termikanov, despite the applause I don’t think anyone was prepared for the exquisiteness that lay ahead of them.

It started quite melancholy but was full of wanderlust and was moving from the first note.  Playing Liadov’s Kikimora Op.63 you could see in the faces of the musicians they truly loved their profession.   Maestro Termikanov had tamer approach compared to other conductors I have seen but it was truly beautiful to watch his smooth controlled movements, he really let himself feel the music.  The 76 year old has 26years in the business of conducting the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra so clearly knows his stuff.

It then moved into more of a Disney-esque style, which made me picture animated butterflies and bluebirds flittering about above and between the instruments, it left me grinning like a Cheshire cat.  It was quite literally the best live music I have seen in Nottingham out of everyone from Linkin Park to Florence and the Machine to our very own awesome live performers Captain Dangerous.

The conductor left the audience to contemplate what we just heard before returning to the stage bringing with him the most beautiful violinist in a stunning contrasting cream dress.  Leticia Moreno was absorbed into the music of the warm up before leading the orchestra with her incredible talent and passion. The drama of Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto that Leticia played was like an emotional shower and the audience were helpless sponges.  She played some notes so high I think only the younger half of the audience would have been able to hear! Everyone’s focus in the packed out theatre was on the wonderful Spanish violinist and she didn’t miss a note; for her solo the silence in the crowd was so intense you could have heard a pin drop.

After playing the Allegro Vivacissimo with the entire orchestra Leticia Moreno accepted her enthusiastic and long applause graciously before the interval.  It restarted with Tchaikovsky’s incredibly loud Symphony No.6; which introduced the tuba played by Valentin Avvakumov, who when not playing looked a little like a bored waiter which contrasted with the rest of the musicians!

The relaxing sway of the music drew the audience into a false sense of security before helping them out of it with a suction of sound.  Some parts were hauntingly beautiful they brought an instant tear to the eye, before snapping you out of it like a slap in the face; building to an almost manic piece that you could imagine being played whilst David Bana transformed into the Hulk.  The sound resonated through your body and soul.

The symphony moved into the final phase that would be a perfect accompaniment to a repartee between two opposing sides having a healthy flirtation at the start of a relationship, builds up to them getting together, with the symbols emphasising each stage with a crash.  Then your mind’s eye almost pictured their lives together highlighted by momentous occasions; a wedding here, crash, a birth there, crash.  This couple had a pretty dramatic but ultimately happy life before the next concerto began, where it almost felt like one of them was dying but they were reminiscing on their fond times together and then death and sadness ensued, with the stages of grief being played out with music in front of us.

Never have I been to a concert where the music evoked such strong vivid images and emotions.   That is the beauty of classical music; it is a gift for you to write your own story to in whatever way the music moves you.  Never before have I heard such appreciation from an audience, some even took to their feet, and the clapping went on for so long one audience member noted that he need not have gone swimming that day.  The audience were rewarded with a fabulous encore.

If you’d like to see more classical music live in Nottingham then check out the John Wilson Orchestra on 16^th November,  Halle on 24^th November or the Halle Christmas Concert on the 17^th December all at the Royal Concert Hall.  Tickets available on their website www.trch.co.uk

Review by Josie Opal