Much has been invested in Tarmo Peltokoski, the 24-year-old Principal Guest Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra who made his debut with the orchestra in May 2022. Amidst the hype of recent recording contracts and new appointments, would he have the required leadership skills to thrill us all in this highly ambitious programme?
As friends of mine know, I attend a LOT of concerts! And the first thing people always ask is whether or not I liked the conductor.
Now whilst my opinion may be interesting, or even valued… I tend to look at it from a different angle: Did the ORCHESTRA actually like the conductor? Because when we analyse performances from the musician’s perspective, we are offered a different insight.
This scrutiny proved decisive when reviewing Peltokoski, the latest young Finnish conductor and former pupil of Finnish teaching legend Jorma Panula to hit the big time.
Did Peltokoski have the required leadership skills to navigate a highly ambitious programme? Did the RPO like him? And if so, how could we tell?
The programme
To start…
As Kaija Saariaho‘s frosty world slowly emerged in Ciel d’hiver (2013) which cleverly depicts her native Finland, we could almost feel the cold wind blowing across the cold Winter Sky.
The concerto
Norwegian cellist, Truls Mørk joined Peltokoski and the RPO for a deeply profound reading of the rarely heard Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto no 2.
Rostropovich for whom Shostakovich had already written the 1st Cello Concerto (1959) and the Sonata (1934) commented that ‘in terms of virtuosity , the 2nd concerto is less striking than the first, but it’s profundity is second to none’.
Peltokoski and the RPO travelled to the Muziekgebouw Amsterdam with Truls Mørk to perform the cello concerto again as part of the Cello Biennale, Amsterdam on the Saturday 9th November.
A little history
Watch a vintage recording of the premiere of the 2nd Cello Concerto from September 25th, 1966. Rostropovich performs with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the USSR and conductor, Evgeny Svetlanov. In letters to the composer, Rostropovich showed his pleasure at suggestions for the cadenza being incorporated into the score.
The symphony
Conducting from memory, Peltokoski had the orchestra in the palm of his hands as he navigated the distinctive woodwind colours of Sibelius’ Symphony no 1. But is he the real deal?
Listen to some of my favourite recordings of Sibelius’ Symphony no 1
Click on the link below to read my review for Bachtrack
Read more from Clare
This concert was reviewed in De Doelen, Rotterdam on Thursday 7th November 2024
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