Warsaw Philharmonic
Conductor: Krzysztof Urbanski
Pianist: Alexandra Dariescu
Zurich International Orchestra Series
Cadogan Hall
19 May 2026
Part of the annual, much appreciated, Zurich International Orchestra Series, this concert allowed a London audience to hear a crack Polish orchestra.
The configuration was unusual although that may be partly because of the limitations of Cadogan Hall’s relatively small stage. Double basses were in a line right across the back behind woodwind and brass with second violins – almost de rigeur these days – seated to the conductor’s right. It ensured, though, that the basses were always central to the musical texture and worked well. Goodness knows why, though. they didn’t position the piano centre stage at the beginning instead of performing a complex stage management exercise just five minutes into the concert. It would have been perfectly possible, and much more sensible, to play Grazyna Bacewicz’s jolly, tuneful scherzo – a pleasing concert opener arranged for neo-classical orchestra by the conductor – behind the piano.
Next came Alexandra Dariescu to play Chopin’s second piano concerto. the highlight of which was the lyrical beauty in the second movement, well balanced over pianissimo strings under eloquent piano playing. Urbanski is an attentively supportive, unshowy conductor who never stops beating time with the baton in his right hand while coaxing effects with his left. He did the entire concert without scores which somehow helped to make all the music feel exceptionally cohesive. In this performance of the Chopin he drew out every ounce of orchestral colour and, incidentally, refuted all that trite nonsense about Chopin’s “weak” orchestration skills. The clarinet interjection over strings in the first movement and the lovely bassoon line in the second said it all.
A charismatic performer and stage presence, Dariescu’s choice of encore was both unusual and delightful. With “my new friend” Aleksandra Ohar-Sprawka, front desk cellist, seated with music stand next to the piano, they played the moving romanze from Clara Schumann’s piano concerto. Clearly happy working together, they made it sound both rich and gentle.
After the interval it was on to the mighty, portentous Pathetique symphony – Tchaikovsky arguably at his most magnificent (and troubled?), not long before his death at the age of 53. Now, and on a personal note, I have been on intimate terms with this symphony for over 50 years. I used to play it over and over at full volume in my teenage bedroom while my long-suffering parents were trying to watch Harry Worth on TV downstairs. I know (and love) every note of it. And yet Urbanski managed to make me hear it afresh.
The first movement is almost a symphony in itself from the brooding drama and mood, tempo and dynamic changes to the soaring strings – played by the Warsaw Philharmonic with aplomb but never milked. The 5/4 second movement sounded suitably unsettling and I admired the tuba moment which can go almost unnoticed. The third Allegro molto vivace movement which usually fools audiences (including this one) into thinking it marks the end of the symphony brought terrific work from the percussion section including that triumphant, climactic cymbal clash which is almost my favourite moment in the whole piece.
And then – of course – the impassioned tragedy of the Finale: Adagio lamentoso which was played here as movingly as I’ve ever heard it. The descending string scales were gut wrenching and Urbanski held the tension right though to the last double bass pizzicato note – and for a wonderfully long time as the sound died away.
All in all, yet another pretty memorable ZIOS concert.
