London Philharmonic Orchestra, Alondra de la Parra (conductor), Benjamin Grosvenor (piano)

Glinka’s Overture for Ruslan and Ludmilla flew by in a taut blur, but it was Benjamin Grosvenor’s liberal use of sustain and dramatic pounding of the keyboard for Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 that got the pulse racing. Coming across like a measured force, Grosvenor was well matched by a similarly measured gale, with the brushes of wind and brass in the second movement standing out to this listener.

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 opened with sonorous viola and cello, with the slower parts of the second Andante also beautifully performed in a spacious manner. The emotive half gave way to a more hectic pace in the third and fourth movements, with Alondra de la Parra’s animated conducting style eliciting a vibrant sense of attack from the orchestra.

20 October 2018, Brighton Dome Concert Hall
Rating:
Thomas Burns