The Sinfonia of London remains an orchestra more often heard than seen: since its relaunch by the conductor John Wilson six years ago its recordings have come thick and fast, picking up awards at every turn, but live performances are a special occasion. Watching this orchestra, though, brings a whole new dimension to listening, the sheer physicality of the playing reinforcing the vigour of the sound – at least, that was how it seemed as the strings virtually headbanged their way through the start of Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 1.
The blistering performance of the symphony was this concert’s highlight. That ferocious opening heralded playing that was precise, poised and surging with electricity: how can Wilson’s almost nervy gestures, spiky but small and neat, conjure such a spectrum of colour and such enveloping extremes of texture and volume? I can’t remember an orchestra in this venue sustaining such a gloriously loud, rich sound as we heard here in the climax of the finale – but there was plenty of delicacy too, the transparency of the playing revealing the details Wilson drew out so joyfully in the countermelodies. Everyone on stage seemed to be having a wonderful time.
