Energy and showmanship in Minasi and Ensemble Resonanz's Mozart at the Proms

Riccardo Munasi conducting Ensemble Resonanz
© BBC/Mark Allan

Clara-Jumi Kang (violin)

Timothy Ridout (viola)

Ensemble Resonanz

Riccardo Minasi (conductor) 

BBC Prom 41

7.30pm, Wednesday 20 August 2024

Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★★

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791):

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K492, Overture

Sinfonia concertante in E flat major, K364

Encore:

Duo for violin and viola in G major, K423, Adagio

 

Don Giovanni, K527, Overture

Symphony No. 41 in C major, K551, ‘Jupiter’

Encore:

Symphony No. 35 in D major, K385, ‘Haffner’, Presto

Le nozze di Figaro Overture:

'Le nozze di Figaro’s overture set the tone, with immediate energy, bright tone and tight ensemble, Minasi shaping the surging lines, and a pulsing build to the climax'.

Clara-Jumi Kang & Timothy Ridout
© BBC/Mark Allan

Sinfonia Concertante:

'Clara-Jumi Kang and Timothy Ridout’s tones were beautifully matched throughout, a real sign of a duo that perform together frequently. ... They gave us sweetly singing lines in the opening movement, then mellow longing in the aching slow movement, and the finale was sprightly and playful, with their final runs up to the top precise and full of joy'. 

Don Giovanni Overture:

'The overture to Don Giovanni upped the energy levels after the interval, delivering instant drama, with tightly surging scales and falling woodwind figures, and Minasi injecting energy into quick tempos'.

Jupiter Symphony:

'Perhaps not one for a definitive recording, but entertaining as a live experience'. 

'From the pianissimo beginning, Minasi then took off at a cracking pace, and this was a tour de force of energetic drive from beginning to end'. 

Read my full review here.

Beauty without the beast: BBC Philharmonic, Feldman and Bihlmaier at the BBC Proms

Tobias Feldmann, Anja Bihlmaier & the BBC Philharmonic
© BBC/Andy Paradise

Tobias Feldmann (violin)

BBC Philharmonic

Anja Bihlmaier (conductor)

 

BBC Prom 26

7.30pm, Thursday 8 August 2024

Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61

 

Encore:

Edward Elgar (1857-1934): Salut d’amour, Op. 12

 

Sarah Gibson (1995-2024): warp & weft

 

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

Anja Bihlmaier conducts the BBC Philharmonic
© BBC/Andy Paradise

Beethoven:

'A highly engaging performance from Feldmann, producing a bright, lively tone and lyrical line throughout'. 

'... a performance of great beauty, with strong orchestral playing from the woodwinds in particular, but missing bite at the more dramatic moments'.

Gibson:

'Bihlmaier steered the orchestra through the complex rhythms in a work full of interest and challenge'.

Brahms:

'Bihlmaier gave the opening, which launches without introduction, a watery flow, (think Smetana’s Vltava), setting the tone for a fluid reading'. 

'Bihlmaier shaped the progress of the unfolding variations with a strong architectural sense'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.