Simon Rattle and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Barbican, 15th May 07

This concert had two pieces - Dvorak's Cello Concerto and Dvorak's 6th Symphony.
Stephen Isserlis was the eloquent soloist in the concerto, though as I sat right at the back of the hall both he and the orchestra were a bit quiet. At times the cello was submerged into the orchestral sound. Rattle was a sympathetic accompanist.
After the interval Rattle showed that he has not lost his touch. The orchestral contribution was not perfect, though forgiveable given their insistence on playing old style instruments. They played pretty well nevertheless. What was striking was just how in command Rattle was. This was the Rattle I used to know and love, and some more. OK - the orchestra was not the Berlin Phil., but perhaps this was exactly why this performance took off. Rattle+Berlin Phil often seems boring to me, whereas this was a real performance. This is what music making should be about, not pointless attempts at boring technical perfection. Very striking dynamic contrasts, and a flexible approach to tempi, which tended to be fast except in the second movement made this a very memorable performance.
Dave2010