Photo, Chris Christodoulou
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Royal Albert Hall, London
Mexican watering holes, a tour of, plenty of percussion (timpani solos), rhythm, rhythm, rhythm – thus spake Gabriela Ortiz’s Antrópolis of her native nightclubs, dancehalls, and bars; add in brazen trumpets, the required ten minutes about right, and there was no doubt that the Philharmonia was having a good time, swigging (imaginary) margaritas, palomas and micheladas (I had to look those beverages up) – falling-over juice – with tequila as backup. Viktor Hartmann’s artefacts (not all are paintings) found their way into Mussorgsky’s piano suite and in turn into the orchestral arena by numerous transcribers (see below). Ravel’s holds sway, here in a performance of character and colour. One can quibble this or that detail, tempos, pauses, but the familiarity of the music was freshened by Santtu-Matias Rouvali’s individual traversal and the close rapport between him and the Philharmonia, excellent solos, not least saxophone in ‘The Old Castle’, secluded, seen better days.
Bruce Liu has addressed Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano Concerto in London (and Radio 3) before, partnered as here. Rightly he continues to champion the original version rather than Siloti’s cut score, and does so in scintillating style, lyrically charged, as if the pages were ink-still-wet, the big first-movement cadenza made the most of without losing the thread of the whole. The soulful slow movement, with violin and cello solos (mostly lost by Siloti), joined by a sensitive Liu created an intimate piano trio, beautifully sustained, and if the Finale was too fast, it was also poised and bubbly, with an enviable lightness of touch from Liu even in the most bravura passages, the Philharmonia and Rouvali complementary throughout … and it was the conductor playing percussion, with bassist Tim Gibbs, backing Liu for Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag, as unexpected as it was delightful. Busking at its best.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002h19b
Forthcoming release…
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artists/bruce-liu
A fine version of Siloti’s edition, Emil Gilels/New Philharmonia/Lorin Maazel (rec’d 1972), Finale from 28:10…
BBC Proms 1991, Philharmonia Orchestra (leader, Hugh Bean).