Prom 71: Introspection and heartache from Górecki, Vaughan Williams and Tchaikovsky

By Philip May, 06 September 2013

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Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 4 September 2013

Górecki, Symphony no. 3 “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs”, Op.36

Vaughan Williams, Four Last Songs (orch A Payne, BBC commission, world première)

Tchaikovsky, Symphony no. 6 in B minor, "Pathétique", Op.74

Ruby Hughes, Soprano

Jennifer Johnston, Mezzo-soprano

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Osmo Vänskä, Conductor

Sakari Oramo, Yeol Eum Son and the BBC Symphony in Seoul

SangKwon Lee, 26th March

Yeol Eum Son’s Britten Piano Concerto formed the evening’s centre of gravity, played with lucid line, structural command and sudden fire. In Brahms’ Second Symphony, Sakari Oramo found conviction, proportion and a warmth that felt earned rather than applied.

****1

Sakari Oramo and Yeol Eum Son summon up vivid landscapes

Christopher Woodley, 13th March

Yeol Eum Son's superb performances of Bartók and Finzi are matched by intense and heady readings of Stravinsky and Weir by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo.

****1

From snow to sludge: Icelandic music at the Barbican Centre

Marat Ingeldeev, 22nd February

A bewildering evening at the Barbican, where ambitious Icelandic programming collapses under its lofty ambition of defying genres and making music more appealing to a wide variety of audiences.

**111

Fine Lindberg and Stravinsky double bill from the BBC Symphony

Roy Westbrook, 6th February

After a performance of Magnus Lindberg’s First Violin Concerto by Lisa Batiashvili at the Barbican, Stravinsky’s Perséphone stands the test of time.

****1

UK premiere of Julia Wolfe’s unEarth impresses on scale, not substance

Susannah Moody, 23rd January

Wolfe's climate-change oratorio, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, already feels out of date.

**111

Sir James MacMillan delights with his Christmas Oratorio

David Karlin, 19th December

MacMillan's large scale choral work offers a rich variety of texts and musical ideas, the composer conducts the BBC Symphony with unerring precision.

*****

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Philip May

A twice graduate of the RWCMD (BMus & MMus), Philip developed a strong interest in both early and 20th century music, particularly the works of the Second Viennese School and the late William Alwyn. A pianist and ensemble musician, Philip plays with the TripTych Trio and has a particular interest in orchestral and chamber music.