Walker, Harding, LSO, classical review: A worthy tribute to Claudio Abbado
Barbican, London
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.There’s no stopping Huw Watkins, who complements his activities as a pianist and professor with a steady stream of new compositions: string quartets, song cycles, chamber operas, and this week a flute concerto.
The assumed imbalance of forces in such an idea puts most composers off, but with the aid of Adam Walker, the remarkable young flautist for whom this work was written, Watkins has managed to bring flute and orchestra into something approaching parity.
If there are echoes of Bartokian night-music in the slow movement, the work as a whole has a vernal freshness. Looking as elegant as he sounded, Walker had as many notes to play as the rest of the orchestra put together, and his non-stop stream of birdsong was presented with a virtuosity which was discreet rather than showy (no flamboyant flutter-tonguing, or shakuhachi effects).
Under Daniel Harding’s direction the London Symphony Orchestra cast a matching spell, at one point answering the flute’s busy monologue with a ravishing blend of high strings, woodwind, and harp.
With its own inbuilt birdsong, Mahler’s First Symphony was a perfect sequel, and, in their precision of detail and command of big forms, Harding and the LSO made this a worthy tribute to their concert’s dedicatee, Claudio Abbado.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments