Prom 55: The Warsaw Philharmonic's Proms debut celebrates Lutosławski centenary

By Carla Finesilver, 26 August 2013

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Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 23 August 2013

Lutosławski, Concerto for Orchestra

Shostakovich, Piano Concerto no. 2 in F major, Op.102

Panufnik, Tragic Overture

Panufnik, Lullaby

Shostakovich, Symphony no. 6 in B minor, Op.54

Alexander Melnikov, Piano

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

Antoni Wit, Conductor

A musical celebration of Polish Independence

Julia Jędrzejczak, 27th January

Warsaw Philharmonic celebrates the 100th anniversary of Polish independence with performances of great local composers – Lutoslawski, Szymanowski and Szabelski – and Debussy’s La Mer for good measure.

****1

Tristan triumphs but Isolde languishes in Warsaw

Jonathan Sutherland, 4th June

Given the spate of visually distracting, if not irksome productions which seem to blight the opera world these days, there is something to be said for concert performances.

****1

Warsaw Philharmonic in Szymanowski and Beethoven

Renée Reitsma, 20th May

The Warsaw Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra offered a program of Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Their performance at Cadogan Hall had outstanding moments but overall felt unremarkable.

***11

Warsaw Philharmonic at Leeds Town Hall

Richard Wilcocks, 19th November

This concert by Poland’s national orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, attracted a near-capacity audience which had in it a fair sprinkling of members of the local Polish community, judging from overheard conversations and some shouts of “Jeszcze raz!” (“More!”) at the end.

Youngster brilliert

Christine Arnold, 13th October

Der Youngster Jan Lisiecki läuft den alten Hasen der Warschauer Philharmoniker in Essen den Rang ab.

***11

Youthful verve and vigour in Barcelona?

Jack Dhainaut, 6th November

Seamless playing and magical moments from the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya in a youthful programme meant that a slight lack of flair and grit felt even more amiss.

***11

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Carla Finesilver

Carla loves music and mathematics, studied both, and now combines working in maths education with playing the flute in a variety of amateur and semi-professional orchestras, chamber and operatic groups. Particular interests include woodwind instruments and 20th-century composers. She lives in London and blogs at silverfin.