“An orchestra at the top of its game, BBC Philharmonic has outdone itself.”
Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall was once again home to BBC Philharmonic this weekend, hosting a rich classical programme. Featuring Julia Wolfe’s Big Beautiful Dark and Scary, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, and Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, the evening boasted iconic pieces and an orchestra at the top of its game.
Composer in Residence Julia Wolfe, known for her documentarian composition, wrote Big Beautiful Dark and Scary in the aftermath of 9/11. The piece lived up to its name, with instruments evoking blaring alarms, falling rubble, and a growing sense of dread and chaos, building to a wall of frantic sound. Short but effective at 9 minutes, this piece set a dark but exciting undertone for the rest of the evening, making lighter moments of other pieces shine and darker ones heavier.
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major followed, a much lighter piece but with persistent shadows. Solo violinist Bomsori was nothing short of extraordinary. The way she played was precise but breathtakingly expressive. Not only did she portray the emotions through each note, but through her entire body, appearing almost to struggle to get it all out in a beautiful push and pull before freeing herself entirely. Bomsori, conductor Anja Bihlmaier, and the orchestra blended together incredibly well, dynamically ebbing and flowing to build a romantic and gently melancholic mood.
Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique closed the night. Innovative in Berlioz’s time, the symphony still stands today as an impressive and ambitious work. Throughout, listeners were urged to question: is this a bold profession of love or of obsession? What began as airy, carnival-esque joy morphed and devolved into a foreboding and punchy Dies irae. The piece felt playful one moment and terse the next, where harps created a romantic lightness and scratchy violins made hairs stand on end. The orchestra shifted effortlessly between moods and dynamic shifts, showcasing their talents in what I can only imagine is a challenging piece to master.
The evening’s programme was conducted brilliantly by Anja Bihlmaier, BBC Philharmonic’s Guest Conductor. She embodied the music as though it flowed through her, seemingly casting spells over sections to animate them. She was truly captivating to watch at work, feeling and expressing every emotional beat in conversation with the orchestra. She tied the evening together beautifully, conducting with passion and high energy.
Overall, the evening was a showcase of some incredibly exciting musical talent. As such a highly regarded broadcast orchestra, BBC Philharmonic has no need to prove itself, but it does time and time again.
These pieces were performed for one night only on Saturday 25 April at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.