Page 254 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

Continuing in the virtuoso tradition, Alberga has written a thoroughly pianistic concerto that’s

full of dialogue with the orchestra and makes the most of the keyboard, from rumbling bass

register to silvery higher realms. Perhaps that’s because she’s a pianist, or perhaps she was

inspired by Beisembayev’s incisive and delicate playing. That’s up to the listener’s imagination,
because this is an abstract work about which she’s said little beyond describing parts of it as

“big and fast, with contrasts, so bits of slow material as well”.

That’s actually not a bad description of the first movement, which opens with a jerky unison

motto, a surge of energy and the memory of Bartok imprinted in its melodic and rhythmic
gestures. Throughout the piece there are echoes of the past, yet it always sounds remarkably

fresh. A quicksilver scherzo disappears into the ether off the top of the keyboard, while a

beautiful slow movement harks back to the piano’s golden age. The finale anchors the whole

piece. There’s an elusive quality to Alberga’s music but a spirit of fun too, and the orchestration

is full of colour and interest. If I had the piano technique of a Leeds winner, I’d love to play it.

The concerto certainly made more of an impression than the second suite from

Roussel’s Bacchus and Ariadne, a something-and-nothing piece that’s surprisingly pleasant but
nonetheless instantly forgettable. Good thing the programme ended with a blockbuster:

Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, and the RLPO on top form. If the conductor Vasily Petrenko

left big shoes to fill in this repertoire, Domingo Hindoyan has stepped up and found his own

way. This was a performance of stirring intensity, chilling and blazing, and the driven finale was

met with a standing ovation.
★★★★☆

BBC Radio 3, May 14; BBC Sounds; Medici TV, May 11, 7pm