Royal Liverpool

Dani Howard is a British composer and orchestrator who is fast establishing a reputation across Europe for her music. The Times called her Trombone Concerto ‘An instant classic…lush..rivetting’. She has had major commissions from UK orchestras, including the RLPO, and her works have been performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, CBSO, Hallé, BBC Scottish SO, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, NCPA Orchestra of China, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, NYOGB, RLPO (conducted by Domingo Hindoyan).

Great performances of this massive symphony aren’t exactly thick on the field, but my goodness, this is one of them. Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic play with 100 percent commitment in every single bar. The first movement opens broadly, the intensity already palpable. Taking full advantage of excellent sound and a wide dynamic range (crank up the volume for this one), the central march and battle will have you sweating in your seat. The unrelentingly sustained passion that Petrenko brings to this long section triumphantly vindicates Shostakovich’s controversial vision, and at the same time makes short work of a 28-minute overall timing.