Early Beethoven may have nothing in common with middle-period Shostakovich, yet there was plenty to commend this London Philharmonic Orchestra concert uniting the two under principal guest conductor Karina Canellakis.
The first half, comprising the traditional overture and concerto, got off to a spirited start with a crisply eloquent account of the overture to Beethoven’s The Creatures of Prometheus. Orchestra and conductor gave a noble and shapely reading with fleet strings and persuasive dynamic contrasts.
