Maestros in the making at the Pärnu Music Festival

Julia Kurzydlak conducts the Järvi Academy Sinfonietta

Pola Benke conducts the Järvi Academy Sinfonietta

Alec Frank-Gemmill conducts the Järvi Academy Sinfonietta

Andrei Stănculescu

By Peter Quantrill, 14 July 2024

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“it was Andrei Stănculescu’s finale that really quickened the pulse”

Reviewed at Pärnu Concert Hall, Pärnu on 11 July 2024

Pärt, Psalom

Haydn, Symphony no. 94 in G major "Surprise"

Pärt, L'Abbé Agathon

Mozart, Symphony no. 39 in E flat major, K543

Järvi Academy participants

Järvi Academy Sinfonietta

Tuuri Dede, Mezzo-soprano

Guro Haugli, Conductor

Pola Benke, Conductor

Ukki Sachedina, Conductor

Alec Frank-Gemmill, Conductor

Julia Kurzydlak, Conductor

Mengru Zheng, Conductor

Andrew M Kim, Conductor

Hannah Schendel, Conductor

Yoona Jeong, Conductor

Andrei Stănculescu, Conductor

Britten and Clyne: astonishing verve from the SCO

David Smythe, 26th November

A dream team of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra directed by Pekka Kussisto, with Allan Clayton and Alec Frank-Gemmill astonish with two modern icons: Clyne’s Within Her Arms and Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings.

*****

Beethoven or bust: anniversary series launched at Wigmore Hall

Mark Pullinger, 15th September

Early and late Beethoven in the closing two recitals of Wigmore Hall's Beethoven Festival Weekend.

****1

IMS Prussia Cove autumn tour delights at St George's Bristol

Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres, 30th September

The second of five concerts in the (deep breath) Autumn 2013 International Music Seminar Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music Tour saw the musicians giving their all for a BBC Radio 3 recording at the acoustically sensitive St George’s Bristol.It’s not often that you see such an age range among musicians taking to the stage.

****1

Scottish Chamber Orchestra and George Benjamin celebrate Britten

Alan Coady, 27th April

This second of two SCO Britten centenary concerts saw its subject juxtaposed with two living British composers and Mozart. Cynics might consider the closing Symphony no. 40 in G minor (1788) a reward for surviving the rest of the programme’s modernity.

****1

Scottish Chamber Orchestra with Richard Egarr: Baroque Greats

Jeremy Morris, 12th April

How do you like your Baroque? Extreme – all gut strings and not a chin-rest in sight? Or mid-twentieth century – molto vibrato with saxophone obbligato? There is, of course, a half way house, and in last night’s packed Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, the SCO steered firmly towards it, producing several agreeable surprises along the way.

****1

Scottish Chamber Orchestra: "In The Steppes of Central Europe"

Alan Coady, 21st January

I would be surprised if, by the end of the evening, I'd been the only one to suspect a hidden pun in the programme's title, 'In The Steppes of Central Europe'. All three pieces shared a dance element. You would expect this from Kodály's Dances of Galánta.

*****

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Peter Quantrill

Peter Quantrill is a regular contributor to Gramophone, The Strad and other journals. Recent programme notes have been published by the Salzburg and Edinburgh festivals, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Ballet. He also writes about music and musicians for many record labels including Eloquence, Delphian, Signum, Danacord and Brilliant Classics. Once unplugged from his hi-fi, he can generally be found in a London concert hall or at the cricket, and he tweets (sporadically) @PeterQuantrill.