Looking Forward with Britten Sinfonia at the Barbican

By Paul Kilbey, 29 October 2012

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Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 27 October 2012

Purcell, Hear my prayer, O Lord, Z 15

Muhly, Looking Forward (World première)

Bach, Double Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV1043

Britten, Les Illuminations, for soprano or tenor and strings, Op.18

MacMillan, One (London première)

Prokofiev, Symphony no. 1 in D major "Classical", Op.25

Kuusisto, OMG HBD

Bach, Keyboard Concerto no. 5 in F minor, BWV1056

MacGregor, Sidewalk Dances: 12 Moondog Pieces

Britten Sinfonia

Britten Sinfonia Voices

Kuljit Bhamra, Tabla

Thomas Gould, Violin, Director

Tom Herbert, Bass

Alina Ibragimova, Violin

Pekka Kuusisto, Violin, Director

Joanna MacGregor, Piano, Director

Mark Padmore, Tenor

Seb Rochford, Drums

Jacqueline Shave, Violin, Director

Andy Sheppard, Saxophone

Eamonn Dougan, Choirmaster / chorus director

At Aldeburgh Festival, Nicholas Daniel plays the Pied Piper of Cool

Christopher Woodley, 13th June

For the Aldeburgh Festival's 75th anniversary celebrations, Daniel delivered a great performance of Vaughan Williams's Oboe Concerto, in the company of Gustav and Imogen Holst.

****1

Britten Sinfonia ablaze on the BBC Proms’ hottest night

Nick Boston, 6th September

Inventiveness, joyful performance and intuitive communication from Thomas Gould and the Britten Sinfonia in recompositions from Richter, Auerbach and Tippett.

*****

Donizetti's L’esule di Roma: a Roman triumph for Opera Rara

Dominic Lowe, 11th May

This is the 27th Donizetti opera given the Opera Rara treatment and their ability to spot a hidden gem remains as adroit as ever.

****1

Love and death in Scotland: Mercadante’s Il proscritto

David Karlin, 28th June

A great orchestral performance of an exciting score don't quite mask the dramatic weaknesses of Opera Rara's latest.

***11

Holst's Sāvitri: near-death experience in the Barbican

Roy Westbrook, 4th May

A game of three halves from the Britten Sinfonia, with a late appearance by three star soloists.

****1

Colin Currie conducts Reich/Richter at the Barbican

Benjamin Poore, 23rd October

A new collaboration from Gerhard Richter and Steve Reich tantalises and enthralls in London.

****1

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Paul Kilbey

Paul was Reviews Editor at Bachtrack from 2012 to February 2014. He has written on music and culture for publications including Culture Wars, the Huffington Post, the Independent and the Guardian. He holds BA and MPhil degrees in music from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and is particularly passionate about contemporary music of all types. His website is here.