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Fiona Maddocks's rating
Reader rating
Description: Sir Colin Davis leads the youth orchestra as it performs Beethoven's Violin Concerto In D, featuring Nikolaj Znaider and Sibelius's Symphony No 2 In D.
Phone: 0207589 8212
Website: www.royalalberthall.com
Trains: Tube: High Street Kensington 
, Tube / Bus: 9, 10, 52, 360 
Extra info: Food, Pub
Integrity of sound: Colin Davis conducted the Jugendorchester
Mobiles beeped, a shoal of late arrivals held us up and the horns struggled with cracked notes in the heat but the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester won over a spellbound Albert Hall through sheer vitality, panache and brilliance. Each player has the commitment of a chamber musician, yet integrity of sound is a hallmark.
Danish violinist Nikolaj Znaider was the silken-toned soloist in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. In the shy opening phrase, he edged in with poetic, whispered leisure. Even the orchestra seemed surprised by his daring tempo. But with Sir Colin Davis bringing octogenarian wisdom and relish to the podium, why rush? Each note was explored with potent intensity. Fittingly, Znaider, whose dark-hued violin is the “Kreisler” Guarnerius “del Gesu”, played the cadenza written by its one-time owner, Austrian megastar Fritz Kreisler.
The other work was pure Davis territory: Sibelius’s Symphony No 2. The whirring, motoric strings, brass fanfares and primeval woodwind all revealed its freshness of invention. In the blazing grand finale, the dozen bassists rendered themselves near senseless to ensure we heard their pulsating solo line, perhaps for the first time. That’s the secret of a great concert: it compels you to listen anew.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
