Page 323 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

textures lacked colour and the flute solo lacked subtlety of phrasing, but as the movement
progressed, the colours became pleasingly richer. The second movement, “Tunis-Nefta”,
takes to African climes: the snake-charming oboe solo was articulate, mirrored by
orchestral textures which were neither sufficiently polished nor earthy. The third and final
movement, “Valencia”, returns to Europe and the country where we would spend the rest of
the evening. It was aptly paced, but lacked sparkle and energetic chemistry between
conductor and orchestra.

Manuel de Falla’s evocative nocturnes for piano and orchestra followed. Nights in The
Gardens of Spain seems to be a party piece for Perianes, whose playing of this work was
effortless. Flowing from his fingers, the range of pianistic colour was wide and the variety of
timbres he commanded was remarkable. The brittle, rhythmic and articulate phrases were
just within the bounds of being too harsh, showcasing Perianes’ skill at not pushing the
piano too far. These moments were highly evocative throughout, bringing contrast, spirit
and much feeling. After three returns to the platform, Perianes didn’t disappoint in his
virtuosic and charismatic encore, the Ritual Fire Dance from Falla’s El Amor Brujo.

After the interval, the four Iberian-focused pieces felt as if they had been chosen from
Ravel’s greatest hits — Rapsodie espagnole, Pavane pour une infante défunte, Alborada
del gracioso and Boléro, which attempted to recreate some form of artificially created
Spanish symphony, with the serious opening, slow dance movement, quasi-scherzo and
rousing crowd pleasing finale. The most successfully executed was the vivacious Alborada,
the Pavane was almost too British and reserved. In Boléro, Hindoyan conducted few notes
until the entrance of the second snare. Being so hands off brought a spontaneity, but the
start was too loud, making it difficult to pace the gradual increase in dynamics, which had
no more space to grow by the time we reached the fifteenth repetition. The players were
generally freer and more expressive, with the most memorable solo coming from the tenor
saxophone.

In the denser passages of the Ibert and Ravel, Hindoyan brought a richness of sound and
colour; in the thinner textures, the same finesse was consistently lacking. Whilst the playing
from the RLPO was of the highest order, the balance and the shaping of the phrasing to
make a polished and utterly convincing performance was not present. Whilst there were
many commendable moments and highly accomplished playing, the musical bonds were
not sufficiently strong enough to bring the intensity of rhythm, passion and spirit of Spanish
music alive with vibrancy. Coming out in the misty evening, the performances and weather
were disappointingly equally matched.