Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Hall, Birmingham 15th May 2025, 3☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Hall, Birmingham 15th May 2025,

3☆☆☆. Review: David Gray & Paul Gray.

“A long and over-egged programme which could have benefited from some pruning.”

Jeffrey Ching – Il maestro di cappella

Georges Bizet – Carmen, Suite No 1

Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake Suite

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op 33

Ludwig Van Beethoven – Symphony No 5 in C minor, Op 67

Looking at the programme for Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s Symphony Hall concert, one was reminded of the marathon concerts where many of Beethoven’s major works were given their premieres. These, we understand, lasted many hours. The offer here was not on that scale. But still seemed like a lot of music to get through.

It is laudable that the orchestra chose to highlight one of their nation’s composers in its opening item. Sadly, the work in question, Jeffrey Ching’s Il maestro di Musica, was an odd and alienating musical joke, which didn’t work that well - either as music or as a joke. It was probably a poor choice for the orchestra to introduce itself to a new audience.

Its muted response from the audience might well have wrongfooted the players. One of Bizet’s Carmen Suites followed. This was characterised by thin violins, hollow cellos, ragged brass work and some poor blending. The reading didn’t catch the character of the individual movements, and the final Les toreodors lacked swagger.

Concert Master, Diomedes Saraza Jr took the lead in Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, playing with poise, clarity and lyricism. Really very lovely. However, the string playing from the orchestra seemed a bit tentative, so the piece didn’t quite achieve the requisite feeling of ebb and flow. However, this was the turning point of the concert: after this, things just got better and better.

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite felt like if was being played by an altogether different band. Lush string work, well blended brass and lashings of colour from the woodwind, enabled conductor Grzegorz Nowak to capture the individual flavour of each of the national dances: we were served up a stately Czardas and a friskily cheeky Neapolitan Dance. While a rollicking Mazurka brought the first half of the concert to a sizzling conclusion.

More Tchaikovsky, in the form of his Variations on a Rococo Theme, opened the second half. A romantic piece that draws heavily on classical form, in which the ‘cello soloist can take a number of routes through. Wen-Sinn Yang chose a sensible middle-way that nicely balanced classical and romantic elements. His was a precise, elegant, yet stylish reading, which didn’t overplay the virtuosic elements. The orchestra provided sensitive, detailed support.

I’m not sure that Maestro Nowak had much new to say about Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. However, what he did have to say was said with command and presence. This was a big-boned, muscular and architectural version of the evergreen work, and full of energy and charisma. The finally Allego was particularly thrilling.

The takeaway from this concert is that less is so often more. Had the Philippine Phil concentrated on the last three, or possibly four items, this could have been top notch.

Grzegorz Nowak – Conductor

Wenn-Sinn Yang – Cello

Diomedes Saraza Jr - Violin