Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at 80 review – birthday celebration champions bold creativity — SkimNews
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- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra marked its 80th anniversary with a London concert, 80 years after Sir Thomas Beecham founded the ensemble in 1946.
- Errollyn Wallen's Flare received its world premiere to open the concert — three whooping trumpets followed by a full-orchestra burst in what the reviewer called a 'two-minute orchestral joyride.'
- Beethoven's Triple Concerto (composed 1804) was performed by pianist Jan Lisiecki, violinist Julia Fischer, and cellist Pablo Ferrández, with Petrenko drawing what the reviewer called 'poetic, almost flirtatious' playing from the trio.
- Strauss's Ein Heldenleben (1899) closed the program with nine horns and leader Duncan Riddell as the concerto soloist, with the review declaring Petrenko and the RPO 'emerged as the real heroes of the night.'
- Vasily Petrenko continues a line of RPO music directors that includes Rudolf Kempe and André Previn, conducting both the Beethoven concerto and Strauss tone poem on the program.
Why it matters: Pairing a Wallen world premiere with Beethoven and Strauss on its 80th-anniversary program positions the RPO under Petrenko as artistically ambitious, and gives Flare a flagship orchestral debut alongside two canonical pillars on the same evening.
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