Articles by David Truslove

Intended to signify the contribution of Russian music to the Western canon, the Royal Choral Society gave admirable performances of two major choral works, rarely heard in Winchester Cathedral.

This was an unmissable evening in which Prokofiev’s formidable “War” sonatas were given a rare and unforgettable outing – all three at a single sitting.  

An account of The Beatitudes that will do much to reassess this neglected work was coupled with a polished “Enigma”.

Stunning musicianship and passionate commitment gave two repertoire works a new lease of life. 

A concert marked by stylish playing that brought fresh colour to Debussy, virtuosity to Bartók and energy to Bruckner.

A generous programme that brought out much felicitous detail from the LSO in Debussy’s Jeux and plenty of sparkle from Simon Trpčeski in Bartók, but it was Mahler that took game, set and match. 

Few composers have made such a notable impact in setting the St Luke Passion narrative, and this impressive performance under an inspired Vladimir Jurowski made clear its relevance today.

Schumann and Wagner were twinned in a programme focusing on works written in 1850 with impressvie results. 

A quartet of American composers drew some notable performances from the London Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Southbank Centre’s Belief and Beyond Belief series. 

In a cleverly-designed programme, Sir Antonio Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra brought meticulous attention to detail and plenty of drama in three superb performances.

Mitsuko Uchida’s love of Mozart and Schumann was given vivid expression in the first of a series of recitals in Britain and Germany – but it was Mozart that won the evening here. 

Paavo Järvi continues his Nielsen exploration with performances that demonstrate his attraction to Haydn and love of Brahms. 

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra produced wonderfully supportive playing for pianist Alexander Romanovsky in Rachmaninov’s youthful First Piano Concerto and vividly brought to life Martinů’s Fourth Symphony.

Gripping Sibelius and Britten open a further exploration of the mighty Finn with a compelling performance from violinist Simone Lamsma.

Searing performances from a mixed cast, superb choir and orchestra; all brilliantly conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

In the first of two successive Proms appearances, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales gave solid performances of two popular scores from the central European repertoire. Malcolm Hayes’s new work, however, proved to be the highlight of the evening. 

These two Manchester-based choirs formed a formidable partnership for one of the most gruelling choral works in the repertoire. The four soloists, however distinguished as individuals, produced mixed results.

Using Stephen Medcalf’s 2008 staging, this opening night of love and loneliness was a feast for the eyes, a musical triumph and a dramatic tour-de-force that tugged at the heart strings.

An interesting evening where links between Haydn and Nielsen were illuminated in bold and individual performances.

This Anvil concert revealed a “two sides of the same coin” quality from an illustrious orchestra that left a mixed, but mostly favourable impression.