Prom 47: John Cage night

By Paul Kilbey, 18 August 2012

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Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 17 August 2012

Cage, 101

Cage, Improvisation III

Marclay, Luggage 2012

Cage, Experiences II

Cage, ear for EAR (Antiphonies)

Cage, Four^2

Marclay, Baggage

Cage, Cartridge Music

Cage, Atlas eclipticalis

Cage, Winter Music

Cage, Concerto for prepared piano and chamber orchestra

Cage, But what about the noise of crumpling paper...

Various, Quartet - improvisation by Behrman, Kosugi, Rowe and Wolff

Cage, Branches

Ilan Volkov, Conductor

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Joan La Barbara, Vocals

Exaudi

John Tilbury, Piano

Frank Denyer, Piano

Aki Takahashi, Piano

Christian Wolff, Piano

David Behrman, Electronics

Takehisa Kosugi, Electronics

Keith Rowe, Electronics, Electric guitar

Astonishing Mahler 2 from Runnicles and the BBC Scottish

David Smythe, 1st March

Sir Donald Runnicles and the BBC Scottish reunite for an astonishing Mahler 2 with Karen Cargill, Jennifer Davis and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus.

*****

Sweeping Rachmaninov and scorching Barber from the BBC Scottish

Simon Thompson, 8th February

Despite the presence of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto on the bill, it is a gripping performance of Samuel Barber's First Symphony that steals this Usher Hall Sunday matinee.

****1

Meditative and powerful Górecki at Celtic Connections

David Smythe, 20th January

The Celtic Connections festival showcases Górecki’s Sorrowful Songs, the BBC Scottish with soprano Francesca Chiejina conducted by Pawel Kapula with a thoughtful introductory song set from Alice Zawadzki.

****1

Celebrating 90 years of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

David Smythe, 20th November

Martyn Brabbins conducts MacMillan’s Confession of Isobel Gowdie, BBCSSO founder Ian Whyte’s forgotten Violin Concerto with Stephanie Gonley, and a memorable Rachmaninov 2.

****1

Canellakis brings sparkle and shine to Stravinsky and Bernstein

Simon Thompson, 21st August

Karina Canellakis brings a riot of Technicolor to the Edinburgh International Festival, but countertenor Hugh Cutting threatens to steal the show in Chichester Psalms.

****1

Revelatory Birtwistle and Beethoven from the BBC Scottish SO

Peter Quantrill, 28th July

A composer-conductor's insight yields lasting rewards in Earth Dances and the Eroica at the Royal Albert Hall.

*****

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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.