Classical Music Review: The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra with guest conductor Elena Schwartz at the Royal Concert Hall

Opening with Debussy’s La Mer, dynamic guest conductor Elena SchwartzSchwartz’s connection with both orchestra and material were immediately apparent. An evocation of the sea, from its gentlest lapping to the upheavals of a tempestuous storm, it’s all too easy to play badly. I’ve heard more than my fair share of recordings that reduce it to the merely programmatic. Schwartz, alive to nuance and fine detail, emphasised the sonority of the piece, her podium technique lucid and controlled, yet intuitive enough to allow an unforced ebb and flow between the sections of the orchestra. It was a masterful performance and the perfect opener.

An interesting choice of contemporary repertoire followed: Dani Howard’s Trombone Concerto. Composed during the 2020 lockdown, it captures - certainly in its first two movements - the sense of loneliness and aimlessness experienced by many during those strange days, the pastoral but understated sweep of the orchestral writing (reminiscent of Vaughan Williams) played off against soloist Peter Moore’s ability to transform the trombone into a statement on existential disquiet that wouldn’t have been out of place in a David Lynch film. Moore proved the ideal soloist, resisting any obvious showboating and giving the work his complete artistic focus. The final movement was a delightful surprise, moving from inner turmoil to joyous reaffirmation of the human spirit. It left me thinking how well the concerto would work on a double bill with Beethoven’s Ninth.

The interval allowed for a breathing space from the emotional journey of two superbly realised half-hour pieces, and an opportunity to enthuse with my concert companion. Then the BBC Philharmonic came thundering back at full force for Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, the not inappropriately titled ‘Titan’. 

While not as fully shot through with the anguish and dark drama of some of his later work - I’m particularly thinking of the tenebrous landscape of the Sixth and the pervasive sinewy tendrils of the Seventh - Mahler’s First is still a large scale and challenging work where, as ever with this composer, the devil is in the detail. Extremely precise and often very tricky motifs exist alongside huge surges of orchestral intensity.

Schwartz and the BBC Philharmonic navigated the symphony with élan, sidestepping all the potential pitfalls to deliver a genuinely exciting hour’s worth of sustained music making. Should John Storgårds step down as their chief conductor, I sincerely hope the BBC Philharmonic have Elena Schwartz’s number on speed dial.

The BBC Philharmonic played the Royal Concert Hall on Friday 7 November 2025.