Performance by London Philharmonic Orchestra

Friday 15 April 2016
Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London

Review by Cara Rodrigues, MSc Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience

The London Philharmonic Orchestra performed excerpts of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet with a faithful execution; however the first half of the performance became lengthy and lacklustre, giving the feeling of an unwise choice in excerpts to open. Indeed, after a fumbling tuning of instruments the audience’s chatter died down and the conductor took his position at centre stage and with one fluid motion commanded the musicians to play their instruments, beginning the evening. Guest classical guitarist Xuefei Yang who appeared in a stunning red gown played her instrument beautifully, strumming each note that gave off musical flavours reminiscent of delicate Italian gardens and sweet, innocent romanticism, a theme of Romeo and Juliet largely unexplored in modern productions and gave it a little Italian spice that lacks in many traditional classical pieces. It was only through her participation in the first half of the concert that gave me a reason to stay. 

For this particular performance of Romeo and Juliet, the most memorable excerpts were found in Dance of the Knights and The Death of Tybalt sequences, played in such earnest and delightful intensity, you could feel the playwright’s legacy of Romeo and Juliet burst to life with a flourish of swishing bows on strings. The second half of the concert was far more passionate and delightful than the first half and far more enjoyable. In all, despite the sobriety and uneventfulness of the opening acts, the London Philharmonic Orchestra managed to recapture the audience driving thunderously into the Dance of the Knights, producing a feeling that gave the notion as though the orchestra had been waiting anxiously all night to begin playing and continued executing each note with perfection from that moment onwards, saving the evening from what could have been a quiet and lengthy internal battle of boredom and monotony.