The Kensington Philharmonic Orchestra – one of London’s leading non-professional orchestras – gave their Spring Concert on Sunday, 13th March 2022, 7 p.m., at the Chelsea Old Town Hall. The programme was:

SIBELIUS: Finlandia, Op. 26
RICHARD STRAUSS: Oboe Concerto in D Major (Layla Baratto, soloist)
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43

Their conductor was Claudio di Meo.

Finlandia is, of course, one of Sibelius’ most famous works – having been written and first performed at times of political difficulty for his native country – evoking feelings of Finnish pride, and now having attained such stature in both the Finnish and the universal musical pantheon as to be regarded by many as Finland’s unofficial national anthem.

Mr Di Meo was in complete command of the score throughout, only briefly and sporadically glancing at it – and his gestures were confident, clear and precise, leaving no doubt as to his musical intentions and requirements from the orchestra – which, in turn, was very responsive to Mr Di Meo’s indications, and gave a powerful, clear and crisp account of this well-known piece. If I were to be extremely picky, I would add that, at the beginning of the piece especially, the overall sound felt a little dry to my ears – but that may well have been me not having yet adjusted to the acoustics of the hall, rather than any fault of the performers.

No such acoustic problems in the performance of Richard Strauss’s stunning Oboe Concerto, which was completed when the composer was past his eightieth birthday, in October 1945 – written in three movements, but with no break in between them, making for one, unitary work. Brazil-born Layla Baratto, this evening’s oboe soloist, is currently studying at the Royal College of Music and performed with the KPO as part of a partnership with the RCM, under which the orchestra provides concerto opportunities for outstanding RCM students, each season.

Ms Baratto’s technical command was flawless – both fast passages and long lines were, I felt, impeccably handled, technically speaking. However, the highlight of her performance was, for me, her undoubted musicality. This is (despite its prima faciae classical style) a rich, lush, romantic work – and Ms Baratto seemed to pour her soul in it, not holding back in giving voice to the work’s romanticism, yet never going overboard in giving too much. Her interpretation, whilst also a model of good taste, was a passionate, warm and heart-on-sleeve performance of a work that begs for those very qualities out of its performer – one of those times when the work performed feels understood, by the soloist, from an intellectual, structural perspective as well as heartfelt from an expressive, musical standpoint. The second movement, with its lyrical long oboe lines which Ms Baratto communicated movingly and expressively, was a special highlight for me – although it feels unjust for me to focus on any part of the concerto, when the whole performance was such a joy to listen to. The balance between soloist and orchestra felt just right, throughout, with some wonderfully communicative dialogue between them – Mr Di Meo proving to be a sensitive accompanist, following Ms Baratto’s phrasing expertly and with great musical care. The applause at the end was well deserved – Ms Baratto is definitely someone to watch out for.

After the interval, and a few words from Mr Di Meo, regarding the relevance of Sibelius’s 2nd Symphony to modern times, we were treated to a performance of this major work of the symphonic repertoire, which I can only describe as a journey from darkness to light. The first movement carries the premonition of some of Sibelius’s later works, such as the Violin Concerto – which was composed only a few years after this symphony. The second movement is full of dark desolation and foreboding, eventually giving way to third movement which alternates equally dark colours with more pastoral sections, marked Lento e suave in the score – with echoes, in these sections, of composers such as, for example, Dvorak. The question of whether darkness or light will triumph is, finally, settled without a doubt in the last movement of the piece, one of Sibelius’s most famous symphonic movements, where the D Major melodies shine a much needed positive conclusion to the inner battle depicted in the earlier movements.

The orchestra did not hold back. Under Mr Di Meo’s passionate direction, they threw caution to the wind and gave us a vibrant performance of this work. The woodwind, already having given a great account of themselves so far, especially (to my ear) in the Strauss, were excellent here, too – the brass was crisp and clear without being overpowering, and the timpani were full of dark, powerful, rumbling nuances. The strings negotiated some very exposed, tricky passages (such as the opening of the second and third movements) with deftness – the orchestra leader, Ms Abigail Dance, having impeccably and dedicatedly led them throughout the evening, in constant communication and synchronisation with the conductor and in a style of playing that showed excellent technical command and musicality. I must also mention some beautiful cello section playing, under their principal cellist, Mr Charles Dalglish, that caught my ear. However, this performance was much more than the sum of its parts; it was a no-holds-barred, expressive, passionate performance (with clear technical and musical vision and direction from Mr di Meo – a true, steadying, reference point at the podium), which involved the audience emotionally in it, throughout, and which fully deserved the warm, enthusiastic reaction and applause at the end.

Vlad Bourceanu, Editor of "After The Last Note". Violinist, conductor, music journalist and critic

March 2022