Around the world with the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Phil

By Jack Johnson, 20 February 2015

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Reviewed at Royal Festival Hall, London on 15 February 2015

Purcell, The Fairy Queen, Z 629: Suite (Rondeau and Gigue)

Kaiser-Lindemann, Die 12 in Bossa Nova

Scotto, Sous les ponts de Paris

Ben Jor, Mas Que Nada

Mancini, Film music from The Pink Panther

Shostakovich, Suite for Variety Stage Orchestra: Waltz (Waltz no. 2)

The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Sarah Willis, Presenter

Black American music finds a new voice at the Concertgebouw

Clare Varney, 18th June

Dutch premieres, new faces and new arrangements result in a concert quite unlike any other from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Antony Hermus.

****1

Apollonian radiance and women scorned: the Britten Sinfonia at Snape

Roy Westbrook, 18th June

Hell holds no fury like a woman scorned, and it was certainly so in Greek mythology, celebrated in this outstanding Aldeburgh Festival performance by the Britten Sinfonia and Helen Charlston.

*****

Improvisatory Gershwin from Ryan Wang with Chromatica Orchestra

Nick Boston, 17th June

Energetic yet atmospheric performances from Chromatica Orchestra, with Ingunn Korsgård Hagen providing firm yet spirited direction.

****1

A perfect landing with Harding and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Mengguang Huang, 17th June

Håkan Hardenberger joins the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding for a thrilling night concluding with a breathtaking, high-energy Beethoven Four.

****1

Poise over fire: McGegan, Chen and the Orchestra of St Luke’s

Edward Sava-Segal, 16th June

A late substitution turns a violinist-led showcase into a polished, orchestra-centred Bach Festival evening at Carnegie Hall.

***11

Quatuor Diotima and Stéphane Degout haunt Wigmore Hall

Christopher Woodley, 15th June

An enterprising trio of works by Ligeti, Respighi and Schoeck leave a lasting impression of oppression, alienation and dark nights of the soul.

*****

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Jack Johnson

After completing a postgraduate degree in Music at King's College London in 2013, Jack now works in development for an arts charity based in London. Aside from regularly attending concerts, he plays piano and clarinet and enjoys singing with several choirs. Particularly passions include Bach, Prokofiev and the neglected choral works of Hummel

Around the world with the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic