Musical resilience from Pekka Kuusisto and Katarina Barruk at the Proms

Pekka Kuusisto &
members of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
© Andy Paradise

Katarina Barruk (vocals)

Arnljot Nordvik (guitar)

Christer Jørgensen (drums)

Norwegian Chamber Orchestra 

Pekka Kuusisto (violin/director)

BBC Proms
7.30pm, Sunday 31 August, 2025
Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★★

Katarina Barruk
© Andy Paradise

Barruk, Katarina (b.1994): Ruhttuo intro

                                          Miärraládda (arr. Sonstad, Øystein (b.1970)/Nordvik, Arnljot)

                                           Niäguoh (arr. Stangness, Christo, orch. Sonstad, Øystein)

                                           Sådna jahttá - Part 2: Maadter-aahka (arr. Nyman, Marzi (b.1979))

                                           Ij gåssieke (arr. Sonstad, Øystein/Nordvik, Arnjlot)

                                           Dállie (arr. Buene, Eivind (b.1973))

Tippett, Michael (1905-1998): Divertimento on Sellinger's Round - A Lament (2nd movement)

Philip Glass (b.1994): String Quartet No. 3, 'Mishima', 5. Blood Oath (arr. Kuusisto, Pekka (b.1976))

Kendall, Hannah (b.1984): Weroon Weroon (UK premiere)

Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Chorale prelude 'O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross', BWV 622 (arr. Reger, Max (1873-1916))

Shaw, Caroline (b.1982): Plan & Elevation, 5. The Beech Tree (arr. Murphy, Ben/Shaw, Caroline)

Pärt, Arvo (b.1935): Fratres - version for solo violin, string orchestra and percussion

Shostakovich, Dmitri (1906-1975): Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a (arr. of String Quartet No. 8 by Barshai, Rudolf (1924-2010))

Encore:

Lennon, John (1940-1980): Imagine (arr. Kuusisto, Pekka)

Katarina Barruk
© Andy Paradise

Barruk:

'Barruk’s striking voice shifted from pure tone to nasal growls, then high and wispy, across a huge range'.

'Barruk’s voice rose high over lamenting strings, then fell into low creaks, with a clear exhortation to never surrender'.

Kendall:

'Kuusisto’s glassy rapid tremolo buzzed and scraped, emitting strange harmonics, and rising and falling in dynamic, before grinding to a halt, adding to the evening’s diversity of sound worlds'.

Pärt:

'NCO moved together with instinctive ensemble, the violins swaying as one. Kuusisto’s solo variations sang out with clarity and improvisatory expression'.

Shostakovich:

'Kuusisto and the NCO let rip with the fourth movement’s violent stabbing knocks ... The second movement's DSCH motif and wild dance and the third's macabre waltz were suitably terrifying'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Pekka Kuusisto & the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
© Nick Boston

Powerfully moving A Child of Our Time at Glyndebourne

Adam Hickox
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd,
Photo: Richard Hubert Smith

Adam Hickox (conductor)

Ian Rutherford (director)

Matthew Fletcher (music preparation)

Nardus Williams (soprano)

Beth Taylor (mezzo-soprano)

Kieran Carrel (tenor)

Michael Mofidian (bass)

The Glydnebourne Sinfonia 

Richard Milone (leader)

The Glyndebourne Chorus

Aidan Oliver (chorus director)

4pm, Tuesday 29 October 2024

Glyndebourne Opera House, Glyndebourne

★★★★

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60

Sir Michael Tippett (1905-1988): A Child of Our Time

Soloists, Glyndebourne Chorus & Sinfonia
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd,
Photo: Richard Hubert Smith

Beethoven:

'There was some impressively deft work from the strings in the outer movements'.

Tippett:

'Simple lighting effects and a few striking image projections added a welcome extra dimension without being overly distracting'.

'The Five Spirituals ... were delivered with full-bodied tone and moving passion, with the solo input from the front of the stage balanced well'. 

'Hickox gave the Glyndebourne Sinfonia and combined vocal forces clear direction throughout and managed the challenge of balance, particularly for players more used to being in the pit'. 

'The soloists and chorus combined brought this memorable and powerful performance to a deeply moving conclusion'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Prom 68: Britten Sinfonia ablaze on the BBC Proms’ hottest night

Owen Gunnell & the Britten Sinfonia
© BBC/Mark Allen

Britten Sinfonia
Thomas Gould (violin/director)
Clare Finnimore (viola)

Owen Gunnell (vibraphone)

Miranda Dale (violin)

Caroline Dearnley (cello)

7.30pm, Wednesday 6 September, 2023

BBC Prom 68

Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★★★

Thomas Gould, Miranda Dale,
Caroline Dearnley & the Britten Sinfonia
© BBC/Mark Allen

Lera Auerbach (b.1973): Sogno di Stabat mater

 

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713): Concerto grosso in F major, Op. 6 No. 2

 

Michael Tippett (1905-1998): Fantasia concertante on a Theme of Corelli

 

Max Richter (b.1966): Recomposed: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons

 

Encore:

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: Shine You No More, arr. for string orchestra

Thomas Gould & the Britten Sinfonia
© BBC/Mark Allen

Auerbach:

'The Britten Sinfonia strings gave their sinking lines intensity, and the solo strings riffed on Pergolesi’s suspensions, with sinister dark tutti throbbing gradually taking over'.

Corelli/Tippett:

'Bright and energetic Corelli flowed straight into Tippett’s Fantasia concertante, thereby accentuating Tippett’s gradual stretching and unhinging of the Baroque'.

'Gould was almost rotating on the spot as soloist and conductor, and communication between him and the mostly standing players was palpable throughout, their gently swaying movements transmitting their enjoyment and commitment'. 

Richter:

'Gould and his players were constantly alert to their corporate roles, producing some of the finest ensemble playing heard in a long time'.

'Once again, the criminally underfunded Britten Sinfonia (are you listening, ACE?) demonstrated inventiveness and frankly stunning performance commitment, giving other orchestral outfits much to envy'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Bath Festival Orchestra inspires the next generation at Cadogan Hall

Bach Festival Orchestra & Peter Manning
© Nick Boston

Ben Goldscheider (horn)

Robin Tritschler (tenor)

Bath Festival Orchestra

Peter Manning (conductor)

Pupils of Bobby Moore Academy, Newham, London

Cadogan Hall, London

7.30pm, Thursday 8 June, 2023

★★★★

Bobby Moore Academy, BFO
© Nick Boston

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): Serenade for tenor, horn and strings, song cycle, Op.31

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713): Concerto grosso in F major, Op.6 no.2

arr. Harry Baker: Secrecy Surrounds 

with poetry by Nuala, Tizyana, Sophia and Alicia 

arr. Harry Baker: Music inspired by Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No 2 

Michael Tippett (1905-1998): Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli 

Britten: Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge for string orchestra, Op.10

Robin Tritschler & Ben Goldscheider
© Nick Boston

Britten Serenade:

'Goldscheider’s opening Prologue set the scene with commanding control and confident tone ... His athletic virtuosity in the demanding Hymn was matched ably by Tritschler’s nimble agility'. 

Corelli:

'The trio injected great energy in the faster sections, and there was good communication and enthusiasm from the whole team throughout'.

Bobby Moore Academy:

'Some strong, rhythmic pizzicato from strings, melodic wind playing and energetic brass, as well as lively percussion, all performed with impressive proficiency and drive. It was great to see such valuable work at the heart of the evening'.

Tippett:

'I have rarely heard a more insightful and tight reading of this work'.

Britten Variations:

'It was the Wiener Waltzer that stood out, with drunken swing, and balletic filigree from the violins on top'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Dazzling Tippett from Steven Osborne and the London Philharmonic

Steven Osborne, Edward Gardner
& the London Philharmonic Orchestra
© London Philharmonic Orchestra

Steven Osborne (piano)

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Edward Gardner (conductor)

7.30pm, Wednesday 25 January 2023

Royal Festival Hall, London

★★★★

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912): Solemn Prelude, Op. 40

Michael Tippett (1905-1998): Piano Concerto

Keith Jarrett (b.1945)/Steven Osborne (b.1971): Vienna Concert, opening (improvisation)

Edward Elgar (1857-1934): Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 55

Coleridge-Taylor:

'The LPO and Edward Gardner gave a lusciously rich performance, the orchestra's impressive string sound in particular setting out their stall well for the Elgar later in the evening'.

Tippett:

'Steven Osborne was on dazzling form technically, but also expertly managed the complicated interplay with the orchestra'.

'Gardner kept a tight rein on proceedings too, controlling the dynamics of the richly textured, often spikily polyphonic orchestration'. 

Elgar:

'Gardner took the scurrying second movement at a pace, and the LPO responded with energy and precision'.

'Gardner allowed the detail to emerge, holding onto the building tension, giving the final return of the noble theme added power, bringing a fine performance to a triumphant conclusion'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

CD Reviews - September 2018

Mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly and pianist Joseph Middleton have recorded a wonderful selection of songs, covering 120 years of composers associated with the Royal College of Music, as teachers, students or both.  I heard them perform much of this repertoire in a lunchtime BBC Prom in August, and it was one of my concert highlights of the year so far (read my review here).  The title of the CD, ‘Come to Me in My Dreams’, comes from Frank Bridge’s (1879-1983) beautifully rhapsodic setting of Matthew Arnold’s text, with its bluesy piano opening, passionate swells and dramatic break on ‘truth’.  But the disc opens with a total gem, a touching miniature, ‘The Lost Nightingale’ by Muriel Herbert (1897-1984).  This is a stunning collection, by any standards, but what makes it exceptional is the strong sense of communication and commitment to the texts. From the tender sadness and dislocated syncopation of voice and piano in Ivor Gurney’s (1890-1937) ‘Thou didst delight my eyes’, to the tolling bells and beating heart of the repeated note in Arthur Somervell’s (1863-1937) ‘Into my heart an air that kills’, Connolly always delivers the texts with intensity and passion, without ever becoming mannered in delivery. Her soft, honeyed tone and delicate articulation of ‘drips, drips, drips’ in Stanford’s (1852-1924) ‘A soft day’ is particularly striking. In addition to Connolly’s phenomenal expressiveness and control, Middleton’s playing also deserves equal credit. His rippling watery accompaniment to Parry’s (1848-1918) ‘Weep you no more, sad fountains’ is a perfect example of the subtlety of his touch throughout. In addition to Benjamin Britten’s (1913-1976) set ‘A Charm of Lullabies’, we have ‘A Sweet Lullaby’ and ‘Somnus, the humble god’, two songs written for the set, but rejected by Britten, discovered by Connolly in the Britten-Pears Library, so world premiere recordings here. ‘A Sweet Lullaby’ combines a simple lilting rhythm with an undercurrent of unsettling harmonies, and the urgency of the darker undertone increases, such that the final wail leaves the ‘lullaby’ far from calm. ‘Somnus, the humble god’ is also dark, with its rumbling, rocking piano part and a final stanza likening sleep to death. Many songs here will be unfamiliar to many, but there are some real treasures here.  Cecil Armstrong Gibbs’ (1889-1960) ‘Sailing Homeward’ has a great dramatic arc in its two short minutes, and E. J. Moeran’s (1894-1940) ‘Twilight’ is full of achingly pastoral sadness and loss.  Rebecca Clarke’s (1886-1979) ‘The Cloths of Heaven’ is beautifully lyrical and Romantic, and Connolly’s smooth line is matched by soft textures from Middleton.  Michael Tippett’s (1905-1998) 'Songs for Ariel' are highly atmospheric, and Connolly relishes the drama and quirkiness of Tippett’s settings here. Mark-Anthony Turnage’s (b.1960) ‘Farewell’, written for Connolly, concludes the disc, with Turnage exploiting Connolly’s full range to convey the passion and directness of Stevie Smith’s text. Connolly sounds distraught, almost crazed, delivering the line ‘I loved you best’, contrasted with a beautifully relaxed, bell-like tone in the final ‘ding dongs’, against the high tinkling piano. A wonderful collection of English song, highly recommended.

Various. 2018. Come to Me in My Dreams. Dame Sarah Connolly, Joseph Middleton. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10944.

I first came across lutenist Jadran Duncumb on his recording last year with violinist Johannes Pramsohler.  He now has his first solo recording out, focusing on Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750), who also featured on that previous CD, and Johann Adolf Hasse (1699-1783).  Weiss was one of the most important composers of music for the lute, and was renowned for his technical ability on the instrument.  Hasse wrote a great deal of lute music for Weiss, who performed as a soloist with the Dresden orchestra, where Hasse was Kapellmeister.  Here, Duncumb performs two of Hasse’s Sonatas, although both of these have been transcribed from their original settings for harpsichord.  The Sonata in A major, dedicated to the daughter of Friedrich August II of Saxony, is a delightful two movement piece, and Duncumb has added back some of the detail in the sprightly Allegro that was removed in the original transcription. The Sonata in D minor by Weiss is an altogether more substantial work of Bach-like proportions, in six movements, and from its opening stately Allemande, through to the graceful Sarabande, and the fluid Allegro that ends the work, Duncumb makes this sound totally natural. In his notes, he argues that lutenist Weiss’ writing for the instrument comes alive in a way that Bach’s doesn’t quite, and in Duncumb’s hands this is certainly the case.  There is a lively energy and fluidity in his playing that never sounds difficult or awkward. He also includes a short but harmonically daring Prelude, and a joyous Passacaglia from Weiss to close the disc. Before that, another Sonata from Hasse, with some delightfully delicate Baroque sequences in its opening Allegro, and dancing Presto to finish. The recording is close and resonant, which does mean that one hears the occasional scraping of frets, but the ears soon get used to this, and the pay-off is a richness of tone that makes this a highly engaging debut solo recording from Duncumb. 

Various. 2018. Weiss & Hasse Lute Sonatas. Jadran Duncumb. Compact Disc. Audax Records. ADX 13713.

Barry Douglas (piano) combines Schubert’s (1797-1828) posthumous Piano Sonata D958 with the Six Moments Musicaux for the third volume of his collection of the composer’s works for solo piano.  He finishes off this volume with two of Liszt’s transcriptions of Schubert songs.  The Piano Sonata in C minor, D958 is the first of Schubert’s final three sonatas, written in the final months of his life.  It clearly has its roots in Beethoven, particularly in its dramatic, emphatic opening, but Schubert’s voice quickly emerges, especially in the beautifully poignant Adagio. Douglas delivers the required power and weight in the opening movement, and generally his approach emphasises the dramatic. However, his Adagio has delicacy and sensitive expression, if not going for quite the sense of transcendence here that say, Uchida, achieves.  His finale is powerfully agile, however, culminating in a thunderously emphatic conclusion. The Moments Musicaux are a set of character pieces, varying in style and from the brief, dancing third to the more substantial angst-ridden sixth. There are folk touches here and there, but ultimately, these are intimate ‘moments’, and Douglas gives them individual voices, from the delicate poise of No. 1 to the thundering insistence of No. 5. He ends this volume with two of Liszt’s transcriptions for piano of Schubert songs.  ‘Sei mir gegrüßt’ preserves the beautiful melodic line, but Liszt’s deft variation shifts the melody from the top to the middle of the texture, and resists the temptation to be overly virtuosic. ‘Auf dem Wasser zu singen’ does something similar, but Liszt adds beautifully pianistic textures, adding a new dimension to the song’s watery theme.  Another strong volume in Douglas’ ongoing Schubert cycle.

Schubert, F. 2018. Works for Solo Piano, Volume 3. Barry Douglas. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10990.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, September 2018)