Young-Jin Hur is a PhD candidate in psychology at University College London, researching themes in aesthetics centred around the sublime. An ardent CD collector, Young-Jin finds much affection in symphonic and orchestral works from between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries, especially of Austro-German, Nordic, and Russian traditions, and in sacred vocal music. He also writes for MusicWeb, Corymbus, and Seoul Arts Center. He tweets at @yjhur1885 and blogs at Where Cherries Ripen.
Herreweghe’s lifelong artistry of concentration, clarity and intimacy was nowhere better demonstrated than in an exalted account of Mozart's last symphony.
Concluding Gardiner's Schumann cycle, it was a memorable concert, with a memorable Spring Symphony and a musical Manfred Overture. The Beethoven first piano concerto proved an unlikely hero.
Rattle and the LSO clearly had great things in mind, as they played with characteristic polish and richness, with the Adagio of Bruckner’s Sixth a thing to admire.
Playing works inspired by folk tunes from Romania, Hungary, France, Spain and England, Rattle pulled off a convincing performance, with Kavakos producing a strong Brahms concerto.
There were memorable moments, as Noseda continued his advocacy of Sir James MacMillan and Shostakovich symphony cycle. Yet Noseda’s maximalist approach had its costs, as it was only in the opening Kodály that found Noseda at his best.
In the second of the two concerts this week to open the Philharmonia's season, Salonen excels in the Schoenberg, while leaving space for debate in the Bruckner.
In Nikolaj Znaider’s return to the LSO, there was a palpable sense of ending. The Mozart violin concertos were played with informal amicability, and Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony was beautifully contained.
