On Thursday night, you didn’t have to go to London to hear the London Philharmonic Orchestra. You didn’t even have to go to Walt Disney Concert Hall. That’s because the LPO performed at The Soraya on the campus of California State University Northridge. The Soraya has once again attracted one of the world’s great orchestras to grace their beautiful venue.
Like WDCH, not only is The Soraya beautiful inside, but outside as well. On a warm October night amidst all the trees surrounding the Soraya, the all-glass façade is a sight to behold.
But not only is The Soraya a feast for the eyes, on Thursday night it was a feast for the ears as well. The LPO directed by their principal conductor, Edward Gardner, performed three works — “Raíces” (“Origins”) by Cuban-born American composer Tania León, the Violin Concerto, Op. 14 by Samuel Barber with the young American violinist Randall Goosby, and the Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36 by Tchaikovsky.
León has been the composer in residence with the LPO since 2023. “Raíces” is a work for large orchestra, which is full of instrumental variety. It begins and ends quietly with harmonics in the strings, and throughout its approximately 13 minutes moves expertly and playfully between individual instrumentalists (kudos especially to LPO Principal Clarinetist Benjamin Mellefont who tackled the difficult clarinet writing with ease) and ensembles but always with a hint of Latin rhythms. There were enough melodies to entice the listener, and the LPO showed their individual and collective chops admirably.
The first half closed with the beautiful violin concerto by Barber. As Goosby said at the concerto’s conclusion and before his encore, it is the great American violin concerto, and one need not wonder why. The plaintiff lyrical melody on the violin with no orchestral introduction with which the concerto begins tears at one’s heart. And Goosby’s warm and sensitive playing was the perfect match. The first movement boasts two instantly recognizable melodies, the one with which it begins and a second, more playful one. The second movement opens with a beautiful lyrical solo by the oboe (c.f. Brahms’ Violin Concerto) (kudos to LPO Principal Oboist Ian Hardwick for his clear, rich tone, which seemed to soar above the orchestra). The third movement, Presto in moto perpetuo, has always reminded me of another final movement, that of Chopin’s Sonata for Piano in B-flat minor, Op. 35, which is marked Presto, but is also a perpetuum mobile. The Chopin finale didn’t seem to fit the gravity of the other three movements and the Barber finale doesn’t seem to fit the lyricality of the first two movements; but they both work probably because of that contrast. The Presto demands a different kind of virtuosity — rapid, staccato playing throughout — and Goosby showed that he’s the complete violinist, moving the orchestra along at the brisk pace Barber wrote.
Goosby’s playing was technically spot on, but not for its own sake. He played with a tenderness and maturity that belies his young age but demonstrates why he is in such demand. Plus, like other young violinists (e.g., Ray Chen), he exudes a charm that makes watching him fun. We had seen Goosby up close and personal the week before performing two Brahms piano trios with members of Salastina during their all-day marathon of the complete Brahms trios, and he was just as mesmerizing in his chamber music playing as he was on Thursday night in front of a large orchestra and a packed house at The Soraya. He’s not only already a great violinist, but an affable performer.
Goosby wasn’t finished after the Barber; on his third curtain call, he came out and introduced his encore, the Louisiana Blues Strut by African American composer, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (Goosby performs it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB0NNDGXozQ), which brought the audience to their feet once again. This short piece combines virtuoso violin playing with a bluesy feel, and it was a perfect complement to the more serious Barber.
The second half of the concert featured the warhorse fourth symphony by Tchaikovsky, which permitted Gardner and the LPO to really let loose; and let loose they did. The brass and horns got their chance to blast, and Gardner knew just when to up the volume for maximum impact and effect. This symphony is a showcase for orchestras, and the LPO showed why they are one of the premier orchestras in the world.
But, like Goosby at the conclusion the Barber, Gardner and the LPO didn’t come all the way to Northridge to not do an encore. And Gardner chose perfectly: the Polonaise from Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin, which kept the exciting momentum from the fourth symphony going for a few more minutes.
—Henry Schlinger, Culture Spot LA
For information about upcoming events at The Soraya, visit www.TheSoraya.org.