Temirkanov and the Philharmonia in Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev
Philharmonia Orchestra
Viktoria Postnikova, piano
Yuri Temirkanov, conductor
Prokofiev, Cinderella Suite (excerpts)
Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 2
Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6, "Pathétique"
Remains of the day.
The socialist romance still lingers around Royal Festival Hall, whose lower reaches are done up with cafes and bars open to the outside, welcoming jostling crowds in flip flops and t-shirts. Concertgoers gingerly thread their way through this perpetual beach party, trying not to look elitist in polished brogues and Stella McCartney tops. I was defying jet lag to hear the elegant Philharmonia play its last concert of the season under Yuri Temirkanov, and happily, the music delivered even more than it promised. Temirkaonov and his younger peer, Valery Gergiev, are the twin pillars of post-Soviet conducting. For any rival to poach on their private reserve – all of Russian orchestral music – runs the risk of serious embarrassment.
