LPO/Gardner review – squirrels, shepherdesses and a tumultuous storm

Royal Albert Hall, London
From Kristine Tjøgersen’s tranquil woodland reverie to Canteloube’s Auvergne and Strauss’s thunderous mountainscape, the London Philharmonic – with Louise Alder – conjured colours and brought drama to this vivid programme

What do you get if you blow into a tuba full of water? With a little imagination it’s the sound of a squirrel eating, the opening salvo of Between Trees by Kristine Tjøgersen. The Norwegian composer’s ingenious nature poem drew on extended techniques and novel effects, such as prepared harp and strings, as it led us beneath the forest floor to explore the mysterious fungal threads that connect the roots of trees and plants like some vast natural internet.

Leaving the Scandinavian forests behind, the London Philharmonic’s whistlestop travelogue paused for breath in sun-drenched central France to savour a selection of Canteloube’s Songs of the Auvergne. Louise Alder was the soloist, the languid radiance of her creamy soprano complementing the composer’s rose-tinted orchestrations. Edward Gardner kept the orchestra on a low light while pointing up the music’s more pungent elements. For her part, Alder brought colour and the gift of storytelling to these tales of lovelorn shepherdesses, opportunistic country lads and conceited quails.