Nordic sounds on a great night by Mao Fujita
Magnificent sound from the Royal Philharmonic in honor of Grieg and Sibelius at the Palau de la Música
Mao Fujita and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Palace of Music. October 27, 2025
I confess: I arrived late and missed Albert Guinovart's Dalí-esque piece (The Secret LifeBut my companion, who arrived on time, showered me with praise.
The delay did not prevent the writer of these lines from enjoying the intense performance of Grieg Concerto in A minorAnd it must be said that the intensity with which Mao Fujita tackled it is truly unforgettable. The Japanese pianist is exceptional and, unlike many of his colleagues of Asian descent, plays with soul and a deep understanding of the subject. This is doubly surprising considering he is a young virtuoso who will turn a brazen 27 this November. Undoubtedly, we are not dealing with a media product at the service of major music multinationals, but rather a responsible, serious artist with the desire and potential to achieve great things. And, of course, he displays a dazzling array of digital pyrotechnics.
The other great attraction of the evening was undoubtedly an orchestra like the Royal Philharmonic, led by one of the finest conductors of our time, Vasily Petrenko. The distinctive sound of the English orchestra has remained steadfast throughout its long history, since its founding by Thomas Beecham almost eighty years ago. It is commendable that the orchestra's signature compact, precise, and rigorous sound maintains such a high standard, regardless of the conductor. And Petrenko is a great musician, a splendid partner to Fujita in the Grieg concerto and an undisputed star in Sibelius's Second Symphony, written after the celebrated symphonic poem. FinlandThe symphony radiates a post-romanticism with strong nationalist roots and evocations of Nordic textures that are also found in some ways in its Norwegian counterpart.
The evening was imbued with the sumptuous and generous sound characteristic of great orchestral nights at the Palau de la Música. An auditorium that sometimes seems too small to accommodate such sonic magnificence. A concert, then, well worth attending, despite having missed the first piece (my apologies, Albert!).