The following review was posted by classicnav.jp, in Japanese, accessed at https://classicnavi.jp/newsflash/post-20703/
Below is an English translation
Robin Ticciati conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra
2024-09-12
Mahler's Symphony No. 5: graceful and warm
Born in London in 1983, Ticciati made his Japanese debut at the age of 25 when he was selected as the conductor for the Salzburg Festival's production of "The Marriage of Figaro" directed by Klaus Guth. At the age of 41, he is currently the principal conductor and artistic director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, but since 2014 he has served as the music director of the Glyndebourne Festival in the UK, and has a close relationship with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), which is in the pit. Even in Mahler's large-scale ensemble, Ticciati makes the LPO sing in a detailed manner, highlighting the classical elegance that never becomes heavy. I also remembered that when Georg Solti was the music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the principal conductor of the LPO, he used the LPO to record Mozart's operas, and I was reminded of the unique character of the orchestra, which stood out for its singing ability.
Not only the brass section, including Paul Beniston who played the opening trumpet, and Annemarie Federle who stood up to play the horn solo in the third movement, but also the splendid solos and ensembles of the woodwinds, which are different from the Berlin Philharmonic's virtuosity, strongly retain the British style of orchestral "way" and have a deep flavor. What was surprising was the tuning. In British orchestras, it is still the custom that the leader (the British name for concertmaster) appears boldly after the musicians have finished tuning, but in this LPO, the leader Peter Schumann sat down from the beginning and tuned. No one stood out or dropped out, and the atmosphere was harmonious, maintaining the dignity of the classics, and the Adagio in the fourth movement created a dreamlike time. The Elgar encore was also superb, exuding a deep love for the works of his home country.
The first half was "Emperor" by Nobuyuki Tsujii. Although the volume has increased since he first started playing this piece, the clarity of the sound has been maintained, which led to a deep flavor in the second movement in particular. Ticciati also limited the composition in a 12-piece style (12 first violins, expanded to 16 pieces in Mahler) and changed the timpani to a classical model, adjusting the style, and supporting Tsujii with a fresh sound.
(Takuo Ikeda 池田卓夫)