Page 396 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

25 March 2023
Explorations – Royal Liverpool

Philharmonic

Explorations is an evening of music to transport you, from the bustling streets of Paris, to the
dark and ominous world that can be created with baroque style harpsichord, and finally to the
enchanting scenes of Finland’s view of the aurora borealis. Performed by the Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Manze, this was a collection of music which
swept you along an epic journey and held a poignancy as the musicians played a memorial
tribute to friend of the orchestra, Maurice Henry George.

The dramatic powerful opening of Mozart’s Symphony No 31, ‘Paris’ was paired beautifully with
the gentle dreamlike woodwind and intricately layered strings. The fantastical elements are
heightened in the second movement, with gentle and nostalgic melodies nodding to echoes of
the drama built up in the first movement. The third movement brings the story to a close
beautifully with allegro tempo and powerful crescendos.

The second piece was a very special world premiere of Gavin Bryars’ Harpsichord Concerto, co-
commissioned with the Orchestre National de Lyon. Performed by talented harpsichordist,
Mahan Esfahani, the ominous opening of the piece quickly led to a contrast between the
harpsichord and the rest of the orchestra which created a high level of tension. The percussion
section increased the level of drama in the piece and the surprising gentle melodies created
layers of echo and repetition which pulled you into the piece and led you through an incredible
journey. The percussive creation of wind and soft whispers of air created a fantastic build up of
sound which heightened the effect of the captivating woodwind.