Too much of a stranger in her own land – scandalously she’s yet to be invited to sing in either of London’s opera houses – this hugely talented mezzo from Liverpool possesses a voice of rare quality – richly bronzed, and even throughout its range.
The standard of orchestral playing was mostly exemplary up until the end of the third movement, but from the moment mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston began singing ‘Urlicht’ with achingly beautiful tone, and scrupulous attention to the text, vocal colours, and dynamics, the entire performance shifted up a gear, and remained on an exalted level until its shattering close. “…this was a hugely impressive performance that seemed to shake the very foundations of the Royal Festival Hall” There were also some minor hiccups in the ensemble and a couple of wrong entries – but as I said earlier, none of these blemishes distracted from the cumulative power of the performance, and there was much to admire in each movement. And at times he conducted like a man in a hurry – the lilting Ländler that follows at times felt harried, whilst even the most light-footed would have found it difficult to keep up with the waltz which weaves its way through the third movement. Rouvali certainly had a sure grasp of the first movement’s architecture, yet occasionally seemed reluctant to let in unfurl organically. The opening tutti on the cellos and double basses had exactly the right weight, but the accents felt fussy, rather than natural. Those niggles were few and far between, and to be fair didn’t detract from the emotional pull coming from the vast array of performers on the platform – yet there were times when Rouvali’s interventionist approach threatened to undermine it. And while there were a few passing niggles here and there, overall this was a hugely impressive performance that seemed to shake the very foundations of the Royal Festival Hall. Santtu-Matias Rouvali brought his first season as The Philharmonia’s Principal Conductor to an end with a rousing account of Mahler’s monumental Resurrection Symphony.
Santtu-Matias Rouvali & Philharmonia (Photo: Royal Festival Hall)
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