Page 365 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

desks of players in each section and the harp placed centrally between second violins and
cellos, the immediacy of the sound was thrilling to behold.

The orchestral strings matched Chooi’s energetic vigour as well as his delicate control, the
former most memorably in the lively rhythmic figures which bounced off the string with
woody bite at the opening of the second movement. Elsewhere the rich, warm texture of
both soloist and orchestra and Hindoyan’s flexible tempi gave a glowing sentimentality to
the slow movements.

In the context of the Bruch, Hindoyan’s approach to Bruckner felt remarkably similar in
outlook. Rarely has this symphony felt so poetic, so suffused with fresh air or so free in
spirit. Not for Hindoyan the austere ‘cathedrals of sound’ clichés associated with the
composer, but rather his reading focussed on allowing the lyricism of the music to sing, the
most effective moments very often the softest. There wasn’t even any of the customary long
pause and ‘deep breath’ on the rostrum before scaling such a symphonic titan, instead
launching directly into the music without hesitation. The opening horn solo was warm and
gentle rather than strident, the horn line intertwining elegantly around the rest of the
orchestra. With astringent woodwind bird calls and an always forward-looking sense of
direction, the movement panned out with a compelling dramatic arc.

The soft footsteps of the second movement were so spacious and serene that the sense of
freshness momentarily dulled, almost becalmed, before sparking into life again in the
Scherzo. Here the boisterous horn calls and woodwind interludes ripped along at a heady
pace, though never at the expense of accuracy. With Hindoyan again adopting the middle-
European setup of horns and violas to his right, the rich inner string lines sang out with
unbridled prominence in the slow ascent to the climax of the finale. Here, at last, the throttle
was opened up in the traditional sense of Bruckner, with blazing brass and roaring timpani.
One can only hope that these forces work their way through the rest of the Bruckner
symphonies before too long.