Page 350 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

24 November 2022

A night of sin and redemption with Domingo

Hindoyan the RLPO

By Leighton Jones,

Since taking the helm in at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Domingo Hindoyan has
brought a refreshing variety of familiar and unfamiliar French orchestral treasures to the
city. This bill brought together two highly evocative key works of Debussy, the Prélude à
l'après-midi d'un faune and La Mer. Beginning with Faune, the beautiful tone from principal
flautist Cormac Henry filled Philharmonic Hall. What can be gently seductive can, with
nuanced phrasing, become utterly spellbinding and intoxicating, pulling one immediately
into an intense and sultry world, but this was not quite executed fully on this occasion as the
musical shaping was too even. As the tone poem evolved, Hindoyan’s approach to
phrasing became obvious, aiming for something more mysterious and ambiguous;
however, this felt altogether too cool and aloof for this suggestively sinful piece.