June 2011

Bach/Fauré - Nigel Short/Tenebrae/Gordan Nikolitch

Tue 28 Jun 2011 8pm, St Paul's Cathedral

The Times, 30 Jun 2011
In time Gordan Nikolitch’s violin and the voices of Tenebrae processed forward. But no matter where you sat it was impossible not to be uplifted.
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Ravel/Mendelssohn - Bernard Haitink/Sarah-Jane Brandon/Daniela Lehner/Sir Thomas Allen/Eltham College Boys' Choir

Thu 23 Jun 2011 7.30pm

The Times, 28 Jun 2011
... in the fairy ensembles there was some delightful singing — every word crystal-clear, the tuning sweet, the timbres aptly delicate — from Sarah-Jane Brandon, Daniela Lehner and particularly the boy trebles from Eltham College.
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classicalsource.com, 24 Jun 2011
Here was a performance of suggestion, atmosphere and subtlety, the LSO playing with sensitivity and eloquence, silences pregnant, orchestra and conductor at one in searching the score to deeply expressive and hypnotic effect, without subjugating lilt, and illuminated from within.
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Seen and Heard, 24 Jun 2011
... the miraculous glow brought by Haitink and the LSO to Mendelssohn’s final chord would have made the visit to the Barbican worthwhile.
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Mozart/Bruckner - Bernard Haitink/Maria João Pires

Tue 14 & Thu 16 Jun 2011 7.30pm

Evening Standard, 15 Jun 2011
On a night such as this, the London Symphony Orchestra seems to be a confederacy of virtuosos.
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The Independent, 15 Jun 2011
The horns dominate and whether pumping out exultant fanfares (in the scherzo) or burnished fortissimo unisons the LSO section was on splendid form.
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ArtsDesk.com, 15 Jun 2011
In total rapport with her, the 82-year-old Haitink’s undemonstrative conducting style speaks of much exacting kitchen work beforehand to prepare these delicacies on the LSO’s perfectly tuned violins, or the way a flute’s trill will exactly foreshadow Pires’s handling of that very phrase on the keyboard.
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classicalsource.com, 15 Jun 2011
There was too a luminous beauty to Pires’s sound, warm, and clear as a bell. This was a profoundly satisfying performance.
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BachTrack.com, 20 Jun 2011
The violas were glorious in their tender second subject in the Andante, and because of Haitink’s unerring sense of proportion, in preference to suggesting continuing progress even in this ‘processional’ movement, the glorious climax and its wind-down into the soft steady drumbeats of the coda was as powerful and expressive as you could ever have prayed for.
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musicOMH.com, 20 Jun 2011
The LSO provided playing of weight and subtlety for Haitink, with horns on top form, electrifying string tremolandos and powerful timpani. The final coda was thrilling. It would be difficult to imagine a more considered and eloquent performance of the Fourth Symphony than this.
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The Guardian, 24 Jun 2011
The muted but expansive melodies of the second movement were wonderfully shaped by the violas and cellos, while the great climaxes of the first and third movements perfectly timed by Haitink and masterfully delivered by the brass.
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Bernstein Candide - Kristjan Järvi/Andrew Staples et al

Sun 5 Jun 2011 7pm

The Evening Standard, 6 Jun 2011
Conducting the LSO, Kristjan Järvi took the famous overture at cartoon speed, and never let the intensity drop. Bernstein's consistently tongue-in-cheek music was done with an exuberance that made the irony joyful.
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The Independent, 6 Jun 2011
We were finally and totally overwhelmed as the London Symphony Chorus went a capella into the climax of that best of all possible anthems “Make Our Garden Grow”.
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Ceasefire Magazine, 6 Jun 2011
[Andrew Staples'] voice abounded in vitality as the concert went on and even his abrupt anger at Cunegonde toward the finale was profoundly wonderful. His voice glistened.
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The Guardian, 7 Jun 2011
Candide ... can transcend the shortcomings of any performance and still generate the ultimate feel-good ending. Järvi and his cast didn't let it down.
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Bachtrack.com, 7 Jun 2011
A colossal achievement, the LSO, LSC and all of the soloists proved that Voltaire’s literary witticism and Bernstein’s candid musical flair still resonates today.
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classicalsource.com, 7 Jun 2011
... whilst it was good to hear Bernstein’s inspired and multifaceted score in its entirety, the pleasure was, in W. S. Gilbert’s phrase, “modified rapture” on this particular occasion.
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The Gramophone, 7 Jun 2011
Most eyes were on Kiera Duffy’s flirty, sexpot Cunegonde, while Andrew Staples’ wide-eyed innocent abroad Candide was cleverly observed.
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Haydn/Beethoven/Nielsen - Sir Colin Davis/Mitsuko Uchida

Thu 2 Jun 2011 7.30pm

Bachtrack.com, 6 Jun 2011
For the witty finale, Davis again chose an appropriately fiery tempo, Uchida’s spirited attack matching that of her old friend and demonstrating the harmony which makes the pair ideal musical collaborators.
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classicalsource.com, 3 Jun 2011
... be in no doubt that this was a terrific performance of a remarkable piece.
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