Leicester Mercury, UK
June 29, 2006 Thursday

Gripping end to a traumatic day

Philharmonia Orchestra, with conductor Rafael Frühbeck De Burgos

That this concert took place at all demonstrates the generosity of
the region’s musicians.

They stepped in when the Philharmonia lorry containing instruments,
music and concert dress was impounded near to King’s Cross, in
London, following a nearby fire.

Armenian-born violinist Sergey Khachatryan was the soloist in
Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No 1 in A minor.

A haunting, dark Nocturne, leads to an angular Scherzo, then to a
sometimes romantic Passacaglia, finishing with a challenging solo
cadenza and rondo finale in Burlesque style. Khachatryan transfixed
the listener with his total envelopment in the music.

Part of me wished the work had ended with that solo cadenza, leaving
the memory of such gifted playing.

Mahler’s Symphony No 1 was originally written as a tone poem
depicting the life of an abstract hero.

A slow movement is followed by a strong, recurring, melodic theme.

The interesting juxtaposition of the children’s theme Frère Jacques
used as a funeral march explodes into a brassy finale with the whole
orchestra rising to the final challenges of this complex and exciting
piece.

The trauma of the day was invisible in an exhilarating and gripping
performance throughout.