its musical portrayal of New York seethes with raw energy and was brilliantly played here by Rattle and the LSO, especially the jazz band brass, giving the John Wilson Orchestra a run for its money.
Read full review
the London Symphony was on top form, and readily responsive to his always clear direction.
Read full review
Rattle, Gerhaher and the LSO then pulled off something remarkable in ‘Der Abschied’, flattering the poem’s beautifully poised emptying of emotion.
Read full review
Gerhaher reflected eloquently on The Lonely One in Autumn. The final song, The Farewell, showed Gerhaher at his most introspective – beautifully phrased – and every word distinct. Eight double basses added foreboding notes to the poet’s farewell. An evening to remember.
Read full review
In terms of sheer virtuosity of playing, the evening showed off the LSO at their very best. I spent the evening checking off individual musicians in my notebook as having stunned me with a solo and, by the end, the list included just about every woodwind player – as well as leader Roman Simovic
Read full review
Rattle’s performance had just the right brassy pizzazz, with a cast led by the irrepressible Alysha Umphress as Ruth and Danielle de Niese as Eileen
Read full review
The London Symphony Orchestra’s musicians were in fine form and their playing was focussed and controlled through to – and beyond – an astonishing fortissimo that Strauss puts in around halfway. Praise to all the players, and especially to the leader Roman Simovic’s delicate solos.
Read full review
The gorgeous orchestral playing alone, so subtly coloured and controlled, made this a concert to remember.
Read full review (subscription required)
The LSO strings brought rich tone to it, heightened by nostalgic wartime angst.
Read full review
Here, the virtuoso playing of the LSO strings made sure every thread in Strauss’s luxuriant brocade was visible, and Rattle’s sure guiding hand made the desolate ending feel like the end of everything.
Read full review
The vocal soloists – tenor Simon O’Neill and baritone Christian Gerhaher – vividly incarnated the two sides of the emotional coin, while the instrumental soloists of the LSO under Rattle’s direction put up a dazzling firework display.
Read full review
The sound was warm but never congested, even at climaxes, the final moments almost spectral as the sonic vibrations sank resignedly into the enfolding silence.
Read full review
...a magnificent final climax, and suitably throbbing basses in the conclusion, leading to a coda of utter despair and most telling silence.
Read full review
