ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL, APRIL 29

LLOYD WEBBER (CELLO)/KENT COUNTY YOUTH ORCHESTRA/DE CSILLERY

BRAHMS, ELGAR, HOLST

Youth orchestras have a lot to give, and the Kent County Youth Orchestra is no exception. But despite Bela de Csillery's long and close involvement with the orchestra, I wasn't entirely convinced that he consistently drew the best from it. Brahms' 'Tragic' Overture contained some very good playing, unanimous strings, solid trombones and heavenly oboe solos, but the conducting was sound rather than inspiring, creating no thrills in the lead back to the recapitulation, and the large string section was often underpowered. Nor did Csillery give the orchestra its head in Hoist's Planets; tempos were fast, but not fast enough to generate excitement, and the more sustained movements lacked serenity. 'I Vow to Thee, My Country' had little old English grandeur.

Julian Lloyd Webber, doyen of the younger British cellists, was on superb form in Elgar's Concerto, bringing his accustomed generosity of feeling to a work obviously very close to his heart. What distinguishes him from other cellists is that he so palpably plays with the orchestra, always with an ear to what is going on in the accompaniments. That said, I wonder what the performance would have been like with a more sympathetic conductor at the helm. The orchestral strings simply did not match Lloyd Webber's phrasing when they took up the first subject (phrasing that young players should listen to and learn from). As in the Hoist the orchestral contribution was too homogenous, with neither fire nor repose, nor enough light and shade. A pity to have to present such young players in so unfavourable a light, as there was no doubt as to their collective talent and ability.
Andrew Mikolajski