Playful Coleridge-Taylor contrasting with dramatic Mahler from the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

Elena Urioste
 © Chris Gloag

Elena Urioste (violin)

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

Alice Farnham (conductor)

Ruth Rogers (leader)

2.45pm, Sunday 19 October 2025

Dome Concert Hall, Brighton

★★★★

Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel (1875-1912): Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 80

Encore:

Arlen, Harold (1905-1986): Over the Rainbow (?arr. Poster, Tom (b.1981))

Mahler, Gustav (1860-1911): Symphony No. 5

For their latest programme, ‘The Romantics’, the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra presented two highly contrasting works, with Mahler’s mighty Symphony No. 5 following the lighter offering of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 80. Ben Gernon was originally scheduled to conduct the concert but was replaced by Alice Farnham, whose combination of precise direction and energy made for a highly engaging afternoon’s programme. Of course it shouldn’t be worthy of note, but it’s great to see an all-female roster (for the second time this season) of conductor, soloist (Elena Urioste) and leader (Ruth Rogers) – with Music Director Joanna MacGregor the overall driving force. 

Elena Urioste
© Nick Boston

Violinist Elena Urioste was born in the US, and has an established solo career, performing with orchestras around the world. She is also a committed chamber music, with her Chamber Music by the Sea festival in Maryland celebtrating its tenth anniversary this year. She also co-founded with her partner, Tom Poster, the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, frequent performers at the Wigmore Hall and at the most recent Coffee Concert at Brighton Corn Exchange. She first performed Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto with Chineke! in 2019, recorded it with them in 2022, and has become a strong advocate for the somewhat neglected work. It’s an open-hearted piece, full of lyrical invention and plenty of opportunity for a virtuoso soloist to shine. Born in Croydon, of mixed Sierra Leonean and English heritage, Coleridge-Taylor originally intended to use spirituals for the melodic material of his Violin Concerto, but wasn’t happy with his attempts, deciding instead to use his own thematic ideas. Of course, Dvořák’s take on ‘American’ music also must have had an influence to bear here too, but the resulting work has a great sense of fun and individual style, which Urioste communicated here with great enthusiasm. 

Following the brassy stately opening from the orchestra, Urioste launched with a flourish into the first melodic idea, and from there, delivered each episodic entry with panache, at one point dancing her line over the accompanying pizzicato strings, and elsewhere injecting just enough bite to point up her dotted rhythms over the full orchestra. That dotted rhythm featured highly in her impressive cadenza, leading to a dramatic conclusion from the orchestra. The second movement is unashamedly lyrical, and the BPO strings set up just the right kind of muted accompaniment to allow Urioste to sing the silky lines above them. Orchestral ensemble was kept tight by Farnham through the ebb and flow of the rubatos whilst Urioste’s tender solos roamed effortlessly. The sprightly finale is once again packed with thematic invention, and Urioste and Farnham drove on through with playful energy (accompanied by frequent audible foot-tapping from Urioste). Virtuosic downward scale passages and skittering runs were aplenty, and weighty tuttis from the orchestra made for a brightly dramatic conclusion. In stark contrast, Urioste gave a simple yet highly tender rendition of Over the Rainbow by Harold Arlen (arranged I believe by Tom Poster), with gentle double-stopping providing some harmony, but the emphasis being on the beauty of the melodic line, delighting the Brighton audience.

 

Alice Farnham & the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
© Nick Boston

In contrast to the light-hearted ease of the Coleridge-Taylor, Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 was of course a completely different matter. The funereal opening movement immediately takes things in a darker direction, and the challenge for the orchestra is equally weightier. There is a great deal of pressure on many soloists from the orchestra, chiefly the trumpet and horn, and on the whole, the BPO acquitted themselves very well. It has to be said, however, that the overall strike rate today of brass splits was relatively high, which was a pity. The first movement’s woodwind dance had finesse, with some wild car-chase strings to follow, and Farnham steered the orchestra through with great clarity, although the latter part of the movement lost a little forward momentum. The screaming opening of the second movement had great drive, and the concluding brass chorale gleamed brightly, although the central marching section could have taken a bit more bite. The Scherzo had lilt and swagger, although at times a little too precisely measured, and once again, it was the woodwinds that shone the most, with the pecking bassoon and delicately precise oboe proving most noteworthy. The Adagietto was beautifully shaped by Farnham, with warm and tender playing from the strings, and sumptuous playing from harpist Alex Rider. The finale raised the mood, with precise horn and woodwind solos leading to the cellos deftly setting off the playful fugal section that followed. The orchestra appeared more in their element now, and the brass climaxes, swaying strings and woodwind interjections were knitted together with momentum by Farnham, with the final accelerando racing to a spectacular finish. So if not the most precise Mahler 5 at every point, Farnham and the BPO certainly delivered a performance with high energy and many great moments. 

CD Reviews - June 2013

French composer Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) was sadly killed in a cycling accident when he was 44, just as his career was starting to take off.  He was working on his String Quartet, and it was to take a break from this very work that he went on that fateful cycle ride.  Consequently, the work was left unfinished, with the final bars of the third movement being completed by Vincent d’Indy.  A fourth movement was no doubt planned, but it stands up well as a three movement work, and in this new recording from the Doric String Quartet, it receives a subtle and sensitive performance.  The calm slow movement is particularly beautifully played here, and they bring out the complexities of the third movement’s combined thematic material effortlessly.  The String Quartet is accompanied on this disc by his Concert – unusually scored for violin, piano and string quartet.  The Dorics are joined by violinist Jennifer Pike and pianist Tom Poster.  The influence of Chausson’s teacher, César Franck, is here, but Chausson also showed early promise of a individual style here.  The first movement opens gravely with the piano, joined by the string quartet, before the solo violin enters with the second theme.  Poster is in total command of the challenging piano part here, and Pike produces a perfectly lyrical, romantic tone.  This is a fascinating piece, and these young players perform with great authority and spirit.  Another great disc from the Dorics.

Chausson, E. 2013. Concert for Violin, Piano and String Quartet, String Quartet. Jennifer Pike, Tom Poster, Doric String Quartet. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10754.

Another French composer, Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was born in the year that Chausson died.  A composer with an extraordinarily individual style, he is often thought of as the first openly gay classical composer, and was also a practising Catholic.  This new disc from the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Stéphane Denève, beautifully captures the idiosyncrasies of this witty yet often profound composer.  First, his Stabat Mater, composed on the death of his painter friend, Christian Bérard.  Then we have his early ballet, Les Biches, composed for Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes.  The SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart perform both works, and are joined by the NDR Chor and soprano Marlis Petersen in the Stabat Mater, which is a glorious piece, full of tenderness and mystery.  Les Biches involves a sequence of interactions, sometimes playful, sometimes erotic, between three athletic men and a number of beautiful woman, including an ‘innocent girl in blue’ and a lesbian couple.  The performances here are very strong, with a uniform, well-tuned choral sound, and great orchestral playing.  The sound of the choir is a little recessed at times, but they excel in the a capella Fac ut ardeat movement.  Petersen’s soprano voice is perfectly suited, and Denève expertly brings out the sensitivity and depth of the Stabat Mater, as well as the quirkiness and jazzy energy of Les Biches. 

Poulenc, F. 2012. Stabat Mater, Les Biches. Marlis Petersen, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, NDR Chor, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Stéphane Denève. Compact Disc. Hänssler Classic CD 93.297.

Violinist James Ehnes is joined once again by pianist Andrew Armstrong for the second volume of his survey of works for violin and piano by Béla Bartók (1881-1945).  Here we have the Sonata for Solo Violin, a youthful Sonata that was long forgotten until it was published in the 1960s, and three sets of folk dances, transcribed by the composer others from his solo piano pieces – Hungarian Folksongs, Hungarian Folk Tunes, and Romanian Folk Dances.  The Sonata for Solo Violin was Bartók’s final work for the instrument, and clearly owes a debt to Bach, and was composed for Yehudi Menuhin, after Bartók heard him perform one of Bach’s solo sonatas.  Ehnes shows no fear in this challenging piece, negotiating the leaps and stopped chords with razor sharp intonation.  Yet this is not purely a technical show – he really communicates the essence of this arresting piece.The early Sonata has more obvious roots in Brahms, yet Bartók’s distinctive voice is in evidence too.  Armstrong’s accompaniment is lively, and he particularly shines in the variations of the middle movement.  The folksong sets are products of the composer’s commitment to the collection of folk tunes, travelling from village to village recording the authentic melodies, as opposed to the somewhat sanitised Viennese version of ‘folk music’.

Bartók, B. 2013. Works for Violin and Piano, Volume 2. James Ehnes, Andrew Armstrong. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10752.

Edward Gardner and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are on their fifth volume of Polish music, now moving on from Lutoslawski to Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937).  They begin with an early Concert Overture, and follow it with two Symphonies – the fourth, a ‘Symphonie concertante’ for piano and orchestra, with pianist Louis Lortie, and the second.  The Overture and the Symphony No. 2 show definite Straussian influence, whilst the Symphony No. 4, a piano concerto to all intents and purposes, has more in common with Bartók – yet all the works have notable individuality, perhaps most clearly in the fourth symphony.  Lortie’s playing here is perfectly matched with the precision Gardner elicits from the orchestra, particularly in the dance-like finale.  It’s evident that the orchestra and Gardner are having a great time in the lively Overture, and they balance the full-on big orchestral sounds as well as the small scale, almost chamber passages, particularly in the first movement.  I really enjoyed discovering Lutoslawski in the earlier volumes of this Polish survey, and now I’m definitely looking forward to more Szymanowski.   

Szymanowski, K. 2013. Symphony No. 2, Symphony No. 4 'Symphonie Concertante', Concert Overture. Louis Lortie, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner. Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc. Chandos CHSA 5115.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, June 2013).