Jakub Hrusa Conducts Janacek and Bartok
Academy Symphony Orchestra
Dukes Hall, Royal Academy of Music
16 October 2026
Bela Bartok’s Suite from the Miraculous Mandarin (1926) and Taras Bulba by Leos Janacek (1918) are terrific choices for Academy Symphony Orchestra to work on because, in both cases, the big-scale orchestration means that there’s plenty for everyone to do. Thus we saw and heard, among other things, five percussionists, harp, celeste and what a treat to hear the Duke Hall’s splendid organ (Ophelia Omar) in action, as it tiptoed through the death scenes in Janacek’s response to Golgol’s story.
Bartok’s six-part suite gets more outings than the controversial opera it derives from which outraged the conservative audience who saw it first. Hrusa brought out every ounce of the drama based on Menyhert Lengyel’s “pantomime grotesque’ which is about a coerced prostitute who finally services a mandarin which triggers his death. Hrusa conducts with electrifying emphasis on rhythm and the students, although not yet professionals are trained to look closely and continuously, giving the tautest possible attention to the conductor and each other. The playing, therefore, is almost always as crisp and as coherent as anything you’d hear in a concert hall anywhere. Solos by leader, Emil Hartikainen were suitably plaintive and beautifully played and I loved the playing by the trombones and tuba which signals the arrival of the sinister mandarin. The bassoon and harp moment was delightful too.
In places Taras Bulba is reminiscent of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring which premiered in Paris only five years earlier. It has some of the same manic muscularity which must make it challenging, but very exciting, to play. It came off well in this performance with fine col legno work from the strings, nice trombone playing and plenty of intensity from the whole orchestra
The rapport and warmth established between Hrusa and the students he’d been working with was moving to see at the end of the concert. They were all clearly pleased with the quality of the work they had just presented – with good reason.
