A delightful and emotional rendition of three rather different works.

Mark-Anthony Turnage's "Three Screaming Popes" was a chaotic cacophony. Wild, bizarre, inventive, and seemingly driven by excess. A fascinating performance, although not one I'll put on in the background. Turnage himself took to the stage to bask in the applause.

Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 1. Reading the story behind the composition made the performance by soloist Alina Ibragimova even more terrifying than it might have otherwise been. The sounds emanating from her violin were somewhere between a tantrum and flirtatious coquette. Stunning to see her tear up the stage.

Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Outstanding. Hearing a 100 piece orchestra power through the score was exhilarating. It is such a vivid piece. There's no other way to describe it - each movement is distinct and full of character. One of those rare pieces where you can feel the music worming its way into your brain.

You can listen to the concert on BBC Radio 3 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002t01v).

Pre- and Post-Show (https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/04/concert-review-london-philharmonic-pictures-at-an-exhibition/#pre-and-post-show)

I've written before about The art of the Pre-Show and Post-Show (https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/12/the-art-of-the-pre-show-and-post-show/). Venues and shows have multiple ways to make an event special for an audience.

This concert did some things really well. For a start - the programme was free! I wish the West End was a bit more like Broadway with a free "Playbill" at every show. Even better, the programme was actually useful! Some nice blurbs about the performers and the pieces.

I particularly liked this little snippet:

How wonderful! It's always someone's first time at an orchestral concert. More programmes should have these little comfort notes.

Other than that, there wasn't much. There was no interaction between the conductor and audience, which felt a little odd. The programme had a QR code to a 31(!) point questionnaire. I'm not sure how many people would be bothered to complete that.

Royal Festival Hall is a delight - plenty of space, multiple bars, lots of seating areas, and a larger number of spacious & clean toilets. An excellent venue.