LPO/Tan Dun review – a full battery of drums, dramatic inhalations and hints of Mongolian throat singing
Why it matters: This concert highlights the evolving landscape of classical music, blending traditional forms with global influences.
- Tan Dun's Choral Concerto: Nine, commissioned for Beethoven's 250th anniversary, impressed with its "full battery of drums," dramatic inhalations, and hints of Mongolian throat singing, showcasing his signature blend of diatonic and pentatonic harmony.
- The London Philharmonic Orchestra and combined London Philharmonic Choir and London Chinese Philharmonic Choir delivered a "beautifully calibrated" performance of Tan Dun's work, featuring English translations of Chinese poetry and innovative sound effects.
- Tan Dun's conducting of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, despite fast tempos and crisp rhythms, was criticized for its "minimal magic" and "workaday moderation," with the "chaos" chord described as deafening rather than dissonant.
Renowned composer Tan Dun, celebrated for his work on 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and the Beijing Olympics, premiered his Choral Concerto: Nine in the UK, a piece commissioned for Beethoven's 250th anniversary that blends traditional orchestral forces with innovative choral sound effects and global influences. While his own composition captivated with its unique blend of East and West, his subsequent conducting of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was met with a more lukewarm reception, lacking the magic and direction expected from the iconic work.
