RLPO/Petrenko review –full of fine things

Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Vasily Petrenko brought fire and precision to Beethoven’s Ninth and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra played with fierce concentration

The choral climax of Vasily Petrenko’s Beethoven cycle with his Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra – all the symphonies played over 10 days – coincided with the arrival in town of the Labour party conference. No prizes for guessing where the spirit of brotherly love was more convincing – and it wasn’t in the conference centre down the hill by the Mersey.

To judge by the fire and precision that Petrenko brought to the Ninth Symphony, this was a season-starting cycle to treasure. Petrenko may appear a coolly restrained presence on the podium, but his orchestra played throughout with a fierce concentration that spoke of total rapport.

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