Spirited Mendelssohn without frills from the English Chamber Orchestra

© English Chamber Orchestra

  

  Members of the English Chamber 

  Orchestra

  Stephanie Gonley (violin)

  David Juritz (violin)

  Michael Gurevich (violin)

  Katerina Nazarova (violin)

  Roger Chase (viola)

  Lydia Lowndes-Northcott (viola)

  Lionel Handy (cello)

  Jonathan Ayling (cello)

Sunday 27 September, 4pm

Beckenham Place Mansion, London

(reviewed from online stream)

★★★

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887): String Sextet in D minor

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Octet in E flat major, Op. 20

'A spirited performance of Mendelssohn’s joyous Octet, with an appetiser of Borodin’s incomplete String Sextet'.

Borodin:

'A warm performance'.

Mendelssohn:

'Mendelssohn's proto-Midsummer Night's Dream Scherzo had a light touch, taken at an energetic lick'.

'The group’s enthusiasm was evident, building to the movement’s glorious climax and a joyous flourish to finish'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

The RPO making sense of Shostakovich: a thrilling Ninth, along with dazzling Prokofiev

Kian Soltani
© Juventino Mateo

Kian Soltani (cello)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Alexander Shelley (conductor)

Thursday 28 November, 2019

Cadogan Hall, London

★★★★





Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936): Concert Waltz No. 1 in D major, Op. 47
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953): Sinfonia Concertante in E minor (Symphony-Concerto), Op. 125
Encore:
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953): Music for Children, Op. 65 No. 10, March
Alexander Borodin (1833-1887): Prince Igor: Polvtsian Dances, No. 17
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Symphony No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70

Alexander Shelley & the RPO
© Nick Boston

'Shelley gave well-pitched introductions, supplying some contextual detail and listening tips with an easy manner'.

Glazunov:
'Shelley and the RPO took great delight in the swirling string melodies and sweet woodwind decorations, communicating a sense of fun and delight in its simplicity'.

Prokofiev:
'Kian Soltani gave an astonishingly commanding performance of this phenomenally challenging work'.

Shostakovich:
'Shelley and the RPO were on great form here, with Shelley setting quick tempi and the RPO responding with accuracy and tight ensemble'.

'The finale was suitably thrilling'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Kian Soltani & the RPO
© Nick Boston