THE HAIRS ON MY NECK TINGLED WITH THE FEELING THE BELLS WERE TOLLING NOT JUST FOR BERLIOS, BUT FOR ALL OF US

By Staff Writer | Press Invite

The programming for Symphonie Fantastique at the London Philharmonic Orchestra on February 26 was a tribute to imagination and expansive artistry.

The night opened with an original composition, Sphinx, from English composer, David Sawer, which led the audience through what Sawer imagines when he thinks of the mythical creature. Sometimes flying, sometimes angry, sometimes running, the cycle of the creature was sharp in the mind of the audience at the Royal Festival Hall.

The orchestra then moved back to make space for Augustin Hadelich’s spectacular turn leading Britten’s Violin Concerto. He delighted and amazed the audience with his talent for both technical perfection and emotional conveyance. I would strongly recommend lovers of the violin to seek his performances out whenever possible.

After a few years of teaching 7 year olds violin, it was nice to be reminded the violin does not need to be a literal instrument of torture. That in fact it can bring immense joy, beauty, and splendour to our lives.

I feared during the interval that Hadelich’s brilliance would overshadow the main event, the Symphonie Fantastique, but I need not have worried.

Berlioz once said: “I generally find it extremely painful to hear my works conducted by someone other than myself,” but I think he would have been alright with the London Philharmonic’s rendition of his romantic epic.

And epic, it was. We may have no shortage of artists writing about crushes today, but before we had Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, we had Hector Berlioz writing a 50 minute symphony about how he is so in love with someone who does not love him back that he poisons himself with opium, has a fever dream, imagines that he kills the person he loves, gets executed for her murder, and then gets haunted by her and several ghosts and ghouls forever.

The orchestra swept the audience along with them for their and Berlioz’ frenzied dream. It was as if we were with him in the field, watching him as he fell deeper and deeper into his stupor, and then feeling the hot breath of his executioner behind us as he was led to his imagined fate.

I could be wrong, but don’t believe the bells tolling for him in the final movement are originally directed to be off stager, so the choice to move them to the Royal Box in order to ring out across the audience was inspired. The hairs on my neck tingled with the feeling the bells were tolling not just for Berlioz, but for all of us who were listening to his opium-addled nightmare play out.

I massively enjoyed this night and would highly recommend this program the next time that the orchestra performs Symphonie Fantastique.

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Photo Credit: Marc Gascoigne