Berlin Symphony Orchestra with Julian LIoyd Webber // St Andrews Hall - 09.05.2012
"Lloyd Webber joined the stage for the next two pieces, the three part Haydn cello concerto which blew me away. His style and playfulness made playing the cello look so easy...unbelievable."
Weber Overture, Der FreischützHaydn Cello Concerto in C majorBritten Serenata & Marcia from Cello Suite No.1Beethoven Coriolan OvertureBrahms Symphony No.1
I was psyched to go watch this doyenne of cello masters: both as a cellist myself and also to take my boyfriend who hadn’t experienced the wonder of classical music live before. St Andrew’s Hall was rammed. As usual, I was disappointed to not see more young people in the audience, but everyone looked excited to come in from out of the rain into the glorious hall and enjoy some classy tunes. The concert began with the orchestra playing Weber’s Overture from Der Freischutz, rousing at times, and at others pin-droppingly silent, a great introduction to the expertise of the orchestra and the very energetic conductor. Lloyd Webber joined the stage for the next two pieces, the three part Haydn cello concerto which blew me away. His style and playfulness made playing the cello look so easy...unbelievable. The first half concluded with a very modern piece by Benjamin Britten which really explored all the sounds that a person can make on a cello, and although it was a bit of a shock after the previous tuneful piece, it was a real eye opener for me. Lloyd Webber was a consummate professional and more than that, looked genuinely like he was enjoying himself, which is lovely to see from someone who does it day in day out all over the world. The second half of the concert was slightly less exciting as Lloyd Webber had clearly left the building and so it was just the orchestra, but it was a strong and moving performance that affected both my partner and I deeply. If you haven’t been to a classical concert before, I would suggest you go, just once, just to see. As my partner said “You don’t realise, when you hear it on the radio, that when you see them actually creating those sounds how much more amazing it is.” Good job!
Weber Overture, Der FreischützHaydn Cello Concerto in C majorBritten Serenata & Marcia from Cello Suite No.1Beethoven Coriolan OvertureBrahms Symphony No.1
I was psyched to go watch this doyenne of cello masters: both as a cellist myself and also to take my boyfriend who hadn’t experienced the wonder of classical music live before. St Andrew’s Hall was rammed. As usual, I was disappointed to not see more young people in the audience, but everyone looked excited to come in from out of the rain into the glorious hall and enjoy some classy tunes. The concert began with the orchestra playing Weber’s Overture from Der Freischutz, rousing at times, and at others pin-droppingly silent, a great introduction to the expertise of the orchestra and the very energetic conductor. Lloyd Webber joined the stage for the next two pieces, the three part Haydn cello concerto which blew me away. His style and playfulness made playing the cello look so easy...unbelievable. The first half concluded with a very modern piece by Benjamin Britten which really explored all the sounds that a person can make on a cello, and although it was a bit of a shock after the previous tuneful piece, it was a real eye opener for me. Lloyd Webber was a consummate professional and more than that, looked genuinely like he was enjoying himself, which is lovely to see from someone who does it day in day out all over the world. The second half of the concert was slightly less exciting as Lloyd Webber had clearly left the building and so it was just the orchestra, but it was a strong and moving performance that affected both my partner and I deeply. If you haven’t been to a classical concert before, I would suggest you go, just once, just to see. As my partner said “You don’t realise, when you hear it on the radio, that when you see them actually creating those sounds how much more amazing it is.” Good job!
