Missing fire
Garth WilshereA smaller National Youth Orchestra presented this concert, but the size was appropriate for the chosen repertoire.
Under conductor Tecwyn Evans we missed the edge-of-the seat fire that James Judd’s inspirational leadership achieved in Rachmaninov last year, but the quality of the young players was still there, especially in winds and brass, though the balance between sections was not always ideal.
The seventeen year old cellist Santiago Canon Valencia gave an assured reading of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1, his technique, beauty of tone and understanding of the work, was admirable in a slightly muted reading. The orchestra under Evans not as supportive as I would have liked.
His Bach Sarabande as an encore was delightful.
Evans’s conducting is technically assured though short of involvement, so despite good playing the suite from Stravinsky’s Pulchinella was dull the fault from Evans’s rather detached direction.









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