Cosmic energy from Kuusisto, Collon and the Aurora Orchestra

By Nick Boston, 06 June 2019

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“Kuusisto and orchestra were tightly locked together in perfect ensemble”

Reviewed at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London on 5 June 2019

Adès, Violin Concerto "Concentric Paths"

Beethoven, String Quartet no. 8 in E minor, "Razumovsky", Op.59 no.2 (Molto adagio)

Richter, Journey Song (CP1919) (World premiere)

Mozart, Symphony no. 41 in C major, "Jupiter”, K551 (from memory)

Muhly, Material in E flat major for Violin and Drone (Encore)

Pekka Kuusisto, Violin

Aurora Orchestra

Nicholas Collon, Conductor

Samuel West, Narrator

Echoes of Youth from the Aurora principals at Kings Place

Mark Valencia, 19th March

Billed under the heading ‘Echoes of Youth’, this Kings Place programme is an attractive ragbag of unlikely bedfellows.

****1

Brett Dean and Lotte Betts-Dean unlock musical memories at Kings Place

Eleanor Knight, 17th January

Father and daughter team of Brett Dean and Lotte Betts-Dean join forces for the opening concert of Kings Place’s ‘Memory Unwrapped’ season.

****1

Aurora dazzle in Edinburgh International Festival debut

Simon Thompson, 18th August

Aurora Orchestra turn Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony inside out to exhilarating effect in a dazzling performance in their Scottish debut. Abel Selaocoe’s Four Spirits, on the other hand, has surface shine but not much substance.

****1

Aurora Orchestra pulls off another dramatic performance from memory

Nick Boston, 17th August

Nicholas Collon and the Aurora Orchestra, together with Frantic Assembly, present an illuminating analysis of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, followed by a blistering account of the work from memory.

****1

“Earth Unwrapped” reveals mixed bag: Aurora Orchestra and BBC Singers

Eleanor Knight, 31st January

The exquisite ensemble of Aurora and BBC Singers in the intimate setting of Kings Place are reason enough to linger longer on earth.

***11

Overtaken by the night: Aurora and Donald Grant get lost on the road

Christopher Woodley, 28th September

At Kings Place Aurora Orchestra and Donald Grant fail to impress with a straggling programme of traditional arrangements, composed pieces and a world premiere.

**111

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Nick Boston

Nick has an MA in Music, specialising in performance and repertoire. His particular passions are choral music, chamber music and opera, with a particular interest in early music. He sings in a number of choirs in the south east of England, plays the piano and occasionally dusts off the violin. He writes about music here.

Sparkling “Music of the Spheres” full of cosmic energy from Kuusisto, Collon and Aurora Orchestra