Page 394 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

25 March 2023

Andrew Manze excels in Sibelius and Mozart

By Leighton Jones,

Making a welcome return to the podium in Philharmonic Hall was the Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic’s Principal Guest Conductor, the well respected Andrew Manze. Presenting a
well balanced programme, beginning with Mozart’s three movement Paris Symphony, the
evening started in style.

Mahan Esfahani, Andrew Manze and the RLPO in rehearsal
© Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
The symphony was a bright, sparkling and sprightly affair. The first movement was jaunty
and brisk, Manze bringing very different colours to each of the subjects in the exposition,
the overlapping phrases were stylish and articulate. Sensitive phrasing and dynamics made
the second movement antiphony between the strings and woodwind a genuine musical
conversation, whilst in the third the rests and phrasing provided the punctuation defining the
musical paragraphs, which knitted together to make a commanding listen. With a modest