Page 412 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

“unplayable”, but many virtuosos like Flores have made it a real treat for audiences.
Bringing two trumpets and a range of mutes to the platform through these three short
movements, Flores judiciously brought out their individual personality and character
expressively to make contrasting episodes distinctively different. His technical control in the
first movement alone demonstrated that Flores is the Paganini of the trumpet — the flutter-
tonguing, breath control, tone, timbre and the kaleidoscopic colours were flawless. The
second movement, on just a few instruments initially, brought intimacy and the string
playing had a mystical ambiance which was utterly captivating. In the Latinesque finale,
Flores modestly held the audience’s attention in a totally commanding performance.

Albares, Flores’ own concerto for flugelhorn followed using a similar orchestration to the
Tomasi. Labels such as a “world premiere” can bring fear and trepidation to audiences, but
using the tried and tested three-movement model, echoing the Tomasi, the formula didn’t
tire and, as Flores’ demonstrated, there is much still to be said for the form. The
movements are formed from dances – bambuco, milong and periquera – the orchestral
writing brimming with Latin rhythms, jazzy harmonies and echoes of film scores, whilst
Flores told the stories of this music on one of three flugelhorns. Each movement was very
much a song without words. Flores turned highly decorated melodies into beautiful and
communicative songs, the lines of which have a cantabile quality, laden with emotion and
echoes of the richness of the human voice. The results of the Liverpool jury were clear, with
a standing ovation and twelve points to Flores, not just for his modest but commanding
stage presence, but his fantastic concerto. If this had been the end of the concert, one
would have left walking on sunshine for sure.

After the interval came Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony. What shone out here was not just
how carefully programmed this was to complement the first half but also the exceptional
playing from the RLPO. The orchestra and conductor were so intuitive together. Hindoyan
was confident and clear in his gestures and the players knew all his nuances, giving him
110%. Hindoyan realised how this much more musically dense music needed careful
handling and executed it with insight. The three movements had much distinction, but within
them the musical episodes unfolded organically: the first movement contained beautiful
moments, especially the cello melody; the second had a Ravel like delicacy with superb
balance; the third just brimmed with pure joy.