Liverpool Daily Post 13th January 1992
Walton Cello Concerto
Pesek’s show of musical loyalty
RLPO/Pesek/Lloyd Webber
PHILHARMONIC HALL
Review by Rex Bawden
LlBOR Pesek, appointed to Liverpool in 1987, declared at the time his determination to explore a comprehensive range of British music. But even his most fervent admirers may not have expected such wholehearted allegiance as Saturday’s programme provided, He has always relished a challenge, and Tippett’s Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli, followed by Walton’s Cello Concerto and Elgar’s Enigma Variations, was undeniably a tough assignment.
Walton’s Cello Concerto has never been as popular as his two for violin and viola possibly because the strange sequence of variations in the finale never quite seems to work. Despite this, Julian Lloyd Webbber’s masterful interpretation of the solo part must have gone a long way towards convincing the doubters.
Orchestral support was sensitively characterised, with the rapport between conductor and solo¬ist adding to a satisfying performance. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the Corelli Fantasia, for although Tippett has never actually specified the number of players required, experience suggests that a chamber-sized ensemble is preferable.
Tackling this texturally complex babaroque-type piece with a full string complement including eight double basses, obscured essential detail, caused some ragged edges and often submerged the three orchestral soloists.
While, the days are long past when Elgar should be regarded as the preserve of British conduc¬tors, Pesek’s readlngwas often unacceptably over-romanticised. A dangerously slow introduction set the pattern and Nimrod lacked its essential nobility. Elgar’s vignettes came off better.
All these works will be repeated in Las Palmas and at Tenerife during the orchestra’s tour of the Canary Islands later this month.
