London Philharmonic Orchestra, 19 May 2013
Two young men set this concert ablaze – conductor Nicholas Collon and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. They came together in Schumann’s piano concerto, the light touch giving an improvisatory feel to the opening movement, though it romped to a close before a warmly indulgent Intermezzo. The finale found many moments of repose to offset the passion of the main theme and the intense rapport between soloist and orchestra. Benjamin Grosvenor delighted us with an encore – a gentle piece of Schumann, in fine contrast to the concerto, delicately played.
Before this we had heard the prelude to Act One of Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. The orchestra are no strangers to this score having played it so magnificently at Glyndebourne in 2011, but it seemed even fresher on this occasion, the counterpoint sparkling and the brass fanfares truly alive.
Siegfried Idyll was an unexpected extra, given the potential length of the programme, but none the less welcome, allowing Nicholas Collon to demonstrate his sensitivity to the nuances of the scoring and the gentle inner voices.
The afternoon concluded with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. This may be a popular choice where programming is concerned but I was surprised at how rarely I have covered a live performance in the last few years. What impressed more than anything was the clarity of the sound Nicholas Collon drew from his players. From almost inaudible ppps to the blazing rasp of the brass this was a remarkably fine performance. The opening movement had real bite without being over fast, while the moody silences of the second movement were atmospherically charged. There was little sense of dwarves in procession from the jaunty opening of the third movement but the build into the unleashing of the final movement was stunning. Moreover, the repeat in the final movement – so often cut – was here even more impressive for the tiny adjustment to the rhythm as it unfolded. Masterly! As had been the whole afternoon. We will be watching Nicholas Collon’s future with great interest, and not only because his hair reminds us of the young Simon Rattle! BH