Iron rhythmic control, a no-slow policy for treacherous passages that tax even the greatest and a real sense of cumulative energy meant the finale was the perfect blend of intellect, emotion and excitement.
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It was nonetheless a sometimes electrifying and for many deeply affecting experience – looking around at the closing, swelling heights of the piece, many had been brought to tears.
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On the chutzpah scale this knew no bounds. What next at the LSO? How about an opera duets evening with Simon Rattle, hopefully in his best voice?
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The rest of the evening was more conventional – an LSO programme conducted by François-Xavier Roth that ended with a diaphanous account of Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy with exactly the slow-burn quality the piece needs
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Not surprisingly, the LSO was in its element, displaying its long pedigree in musical theatre, effortlessly translating the vibes coming from Hannigan’s gently swaying body into the most beguiling rhythmic diversions, and then, for the penultimate stanza of “Embraceable You”, adding with its own collective voice suitable reinforcements to the vocal line.
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The final hurrah was Scriabin’s purple-hued Poem of Ecstasy, beautifully controlled by Roth and the LSO’s coruscating woodwind until David Elton’s trumpet finally let rip and a flood of sound was unleashed.
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The capacity Barbican Hall audience gave Hannigan an ecstatic reception, leaping instantly to their feet. It was impossible not to smile.
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Boldly going where (almost) no orchestra has gone before, the London Symphony Orchestra last night shattered the concert format in the most thrilling and enjoyably anarchic way.
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When Hannigan spun around on the podium in the third movement of Berg’s Lulu Suite and began to sing, her intonation and diction pristine, the impact was electrifying.
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Then Haitink stood up, his left hand supplementing his vigorous right-hand beat, with detailed gestures to the orchestra to enhance expression. If anything, this gloriously vivid and vigorous performance was even more edgy than that recording from 1968. At 90, Bernard Haitink is still at the top of his game. Amazing.
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The orchestral playing was refined and the excellent, diabolically re-tuned, solo violin from the often flamboyantly swaying guest leader, George Tudorache, was admirably supported by all the contributions from the principal players.
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It was awesome and voluptuous, and as she pushed ‘I got rhythm’ into the stratosphere, it was clear she would take no prisoners, a plan predictably greeted with a standing ovation. What a girl!
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I couldn’t help feeling that nowhere in the world would one find a more authoritative Bruckner 4 than this one, with this conductor: the Brucknerian of the age.
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