When one great romantic takes on another

It happened with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Yet, without any doubt I will not place Tchaikovsky as the greatest Romantic but as one of them and when Vladimir Jurowski took his work under his baton, there was fireworks. Jurowski is one of the few great conductors of Romantic music today.

In the realm of classical music he is the creator of all the arts and his orchestration of all music from ballet, opera, symphony, concerto, chamber, choral, keyboard to oratorio is in perfect harmony and flawless.

Some orchestras have grown famous under different batons but with Jurowski, it is immortal. What does a conductor do to make the difference. The answer is Jurowski. Great musical maestros of the past are resurrected by him and the lesser known ones, surfaced and brought to notice. Somewhere over the moon, Jurowski ride high over their scores. Very often he becomes their voice and one would feel the flow of beauty in his creations. His orchestra possess the most human quality we look in a conductor and in his orchestration.

Fused power

As resident of the Southbank Centre and Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor to the London Philharmonic Orchestra, he has raised its standard to even by pass the few well-known such ensembles. He has fused in such power that the LPO stands mighty and flawless.

Who dropped a note? So sharp and sensitive are his trained ears even in his LPO of nearly a hundred instrumentalists. Vladimir Jurowski ponders;

Classical music is central at the Southbank with the resident orchestras providing music for the seasons that draw an international audience from around the world. The international orchestras too are invited to thrill the ever popular series that are confined to them. There is a mixed artform of music with world-reputed pianists and violinists making guest appearances. The Southbank's phenomenal venues are star-studded with these great performers all of whom gets under Jurowski's magical wand.

On this particular day I am present, it had to be a tribute to War and Peace in Russia and to recall the horrors and victory through music by their own composers which Jurowski seized the opportunity as a Russian himself. He had the extra luck to conduct their own, prestigious and highly celebrated Russian National Orchestra along with the LPO. It was a great day for the audience to listen to both simultaneously and I do not have to tell you how large the magnificent Orchestra is with over, may be about one hundred instrumentalists.

I am presently listening to the glorious score of Britten's Lacrymae Op. 48 especially arranged for the Viola and Strings. The smooth flow of its music as against the compositions of Tchaikovsky and Shostakivich, is remarkably different. When one's nerves are tightened, Lacrymae has the capacity to loosen them up. Not that I like Britten but he came out tantalizingly perfect under Jurowski's direction.

Musicians of versatility

The three listed composers tonight whose works are performed are as follows.

Tchaikovsky: (1840-1893) was born in Votkinsk in the Viatka district and is one of Russia's greatest composers to date. His score for the full length ballet, Swan Lake revealed his versatility in a mixture of opera, symphony, concerto, song and chamber music. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's brilliance is seldom compared to others. He was the master of his own genius - Died in St Petersburg.

Benjamin Britten: 'If wind and water could write music, it would sound like Ben said Yehudi Menuhin. One of England's most prolific and significant composers who excelled in different fields and variety of music which might be the reason that he combined him along with Tchaikvosky and Shostakovich tonight. When he was ten, competed an oratorio and a string-quartet. Born in (1913-1976) in Suffolk, he also died there.

Dmitri Shostakovich: (1906-1975) Born in St Petersburg and died in Moscow. He was the greatest composer to have emerged from Communism and frequently fell foul with the authorities.

Throughout his 147 numbers, he maintained remarkable accuracy and uniformity and had his own style of writing his scores. In person, he was crude and unbearing in his mammer and most of the time rubbed against many but that nature of his, did not prevent Jurowski placing him on a pedestal tonight.

So, we know why Jurowski picked on these three composers. He was paying homage to his beloved countrymen who placed classical music on world map for millions like him to follow and keep the tradition going. Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky are two of Russia's leading composers and together with the Russian National Orchestra and the LPO, I saw Jurowski's heart beat faster than drums in the orchestra and one could see the passion in his face and emotion running through his body. The body language was apparent.

Consecration

1812 overture, Op 49: This melodramatic and noisy overture was scored in 1880 and known as the ever popular Overture Solennelle was commissioned to be played during the consecration of the Temple of Christ the Redeemer in Moscow. This was a great moment in the life of Tchaikovsky and he made the score very bewitching with grace to honour Christ.

The Temple was built as a memorial to Napolean's defeat in Russia in 1812. He incorporated the theme as an introductory score from the Russian hymn, God preserve thy people.

It was followed by realistic depiction of the Battle of Borodino with L Marseillaise and God Save The Tsar. It was at this point of the score that Jurowski found the full impact of the composition where Tchaikovsky was at his supremacy. As a Russian, he homaged the great composer.

The Russian hymn is triumphant at last and breathlessly thrilling. The very fact that Jurowski was conducting the Russian National Orchestra, would have gladden the hearts of all Russians who may have been present to night.

They were ably supported by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the outcome of this magnificent composition would have amazed Tchaikovsky had he lived this evening.

Noisy? Yes, it drove away all the night birds around the London Festival Hall.

Symphony No 5 in D minor, Op. 47 (1936)

Shetakovich once said of his score 'I worked with an inhuman intensity I have never before reached'. Perhaps this score would have shattered his nerves.

It all had to do with the war and later with peace that all Russians in that era went through. He had the courage to instill its dire effects into music for everyone to feel the distraught.

German planes nor the grim atmosphere of the beleaguered city could hinder the frightened people. Greater than its musical content which frequently flows into musical disaster, is the historic importance of this symphony.

In his passion to fall in love with the prevailing atmosphere of disappointment and despair of a nation, Shostakovich may have been in a hurry to compose this musical score that did not appeal on the offset but picked up in favour with conductors like Jurowski who looked at it differently.

Frankly, I was disappointed but with Jurowski wielding the baton, it made the difference.

Of all Shostakovich's magnificent scores, why on earth had the great Jurowski to pick Symphony No 7 in C.

I still cannot comprehend and looking around at the audience, I still did not find the answer.