Week 27 - LSO Season Opening Weekend

R.Shchedrin and M.Plisetskaya

My summer was really quiet in the classical music front, so you can imagine my excitement about the London Symphony Orchestra season opening weekend. The principal conductor Valery Gergiev selected Rodion Shchedrin's music as the background for the 2010/11 season and the opening concerts were full of his eclectic music. The atmosphere at the Barbican Hall was charged with anticipation as both concerts were practically sold out. The programme note informed us that the composer is in the audience and we quickly spotted him with his legendary wife – Maya Plisetskaya. She is a super famous Prima ballerina from the Soviet times and I remember as a child seeing her dancing on the television. The fact that this couple were amongst us enjoying the performance made it so much more special.

Anyway, to the actual music. The orchestra was at its best! They played Carmen Suite – a whole opera contrived to an hour long ballet. That was great, as you get the best tunes, only updated (Shchedrin finished it in 1967). After that we could compare the composer's progress, as Denis Matsuev delivered Piano Concerto No 5 from 1999. Not my cup of tea – for me, classical music ends in the seventies... Nevertheless, a standing ovation greeted the humble composer as he came onto the stage. The evening ended with Pictures from an Exhibition, which I wanted to hear for a long time, but only the last movement was memorable (gorgeous is the word).

On Sunday, Concerto for Orchestra No 1 was almost pop music – so jazzy, so catchy. I strongly recommend to check it out on Spotify. And then – an extra long (at least it felt that way) Mahler's Symphony No 5, although first movement caught my emotion with its heavy and grim funereal tread. All in all, the weekend was wonderful and set the tone high for the coming winter with the LSO.

Also this week: watched Shutter Island and loved its soundtrack.