“An amazing, slightly too bright performance”
On Thursday evening, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra took to the stage in the new Tung Auditorium in the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre. Lead by chief conductor, Venezuelan violinist Domingo Hindoyan, the Orchestra performed a three part act, consisting of Rossini’s Overture, The Barber of Seville, followed by Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence and finally Bizet’s Symphony in C.
The evening started with a bang, with Rossini’s comic opera The Barber of Seville. This piece was electric, consisting of a high energy performance that showcased the entire orchestras skill.
Following this, conductor Domingo Hindoyan introduced us to the agenda of the evening and gave the audience some historical context behind the artists and pieces to follow. I appreciated the comedic aspects of his talk, as it made a night listening to classical music seem less serious.
The Orchestra then shifted and the wind and percussion sections of the Orchestra retreated backstage so the string section could perform Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence. Originally meant for a much smaller Orchestra, the piece had been adapted to include the larger scope of the Liverpool Orchestra as well as two double bases. This added a depth to the piece, that I hadn’t encountered before.
After the interval, Bizet’s impressive Symphony in C commenced. A work the composer created when he was just 17 years old.
Overall, as always this was an impressive showing from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. The reason I have not given this piece 5 stars is that I would have appreciated some changes to the lighting – as it was very stark. Dim lighting, hiding the audience and highlighting the performers would have enhanced the experience.