REVIEW: Serenades
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe pieces were excellently chosen and performed, as is often the case with the musicians of the Liverpool Philharmonic, fantastically. Definitely a very worthwhile performance.
Category Orchestra
REVIEW: Kirill Richter & Richter Trio: Sands of Time
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Sands of Time is such a well curated concert that showcases Richter both as a composer and pianist. It has two parts: Part I is performed by the Richter Trio, including twelve pieces, with many of them from his latest album Chronos. Alena Zinovieva (violin) and August Krepak (cello) are both renowned musicians who have literally played everything, from Bach to Silvestrov, and they chose to explore music's infinity with Richter.
REVIEW: Prom 63: Choral Day – The Sixteen
Reading Time: 2 minutesProm 63 of the BBC Proms, featuring The Sixteen under Harry Christophers, was an impeccably curated exploration of English choral traditions, with a focus on sacred and pastoral works. The ensemble’s trademark precision was in full display, as they navigated a repertoire ranging from the Renaissance clarity of Thomas Tallis to the harmonic warmth of Parry and Vaughan Williams.
REVIEW: Prom 65: Choral Day – Handel’s Messiah
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Messiah has been described as one of the world’s favourite oratorios, and it was clear from the atmosphere created at BBC Prom 65 in the Royal Albert Hall why this is the case. Having never been to the Proms, I partially expected an ostentatious event, but the thing that really struck me was the work that has been put in to make the music and the event accessible to all.
REVIEW: Prom 42: Beethoven’s Ninth by Heart
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe BBC Prom 42 of Beethoven’s Ninth by Heart is a dynamic, powerful musical masterpiece. Throughout the evening, Nicholas Collon began the enchanting night with a beautiful exploration of the creation and legacy of the masterpiece Symphony Number Nine. Followed by the performance (from memory) of the Symphony Number Nine in D minor.
REVIEW: Yuja Wang
Reading Time: 2 minutesYuja Wang, the internationally acclaimed Chinese pianist, performed a stunning solo recital on 5th Aug at Usher Hall.
REVIEW: Prom 15: A Mesmerising Evening with Messiaen and Clyne at the Royal Albert Hall
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Royal Albert Hall hosted an unforgettable Prom 15, featuring an enthralling performance by the BBC Philharmonic under the baton of Nicholas Collon. The evening was marked by the world premiere of Anna Clyne's ‘The Gorgeous Nothings’ and a masterful rendition of Olivier Messiaen's ‘Turangalîla-Symphonie’.
REVIEW: ASMF with Federico Colli
Reading Time: 2 minutesFederico Colli is a pianist with a worldwide reputation, winning 1st Prize at the Salzburg Mozart Competition in 2011, the Gold Medal at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2012 and performing with orchestras including the Mariinsky and St Petersburg Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and BBC Philharmonic.
REVIEW: Niki King: Echoes of Influence
Reading Time: 2 minutesThis performance by Niki King interlaced songs celebrating Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington with some from her own album “The Everlasting Energy of Love”.
REVIEW: The Silent Planet
Reading Time: 2 minutesOrchestrator Ian Gardiner (along with musicians Will Pound and Delia Stevens) has done a fantastic job of rearranging the works so that, whilst different in many aspects, not least instrumentation, these pieces still evoke the feelings of the original. Though it does stray quite far from Holst’s original compositions in a lot of places this is not necessarily a bad thing either. It allows for a new life to be injected into the pieces through alterations in style, speed and even the arrangement of certain movements. Venus, for example, is now a lilting tune reminiscent of Latin Jazz; Jupiter is faster and seems something close to an Irish reel, or bluegrass; Mercury is filled with birdsong.