Simón Bolívar: Driven to opulence and excess

By Gavin Dixon, 09 January 2015

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“string swells between were emphasised to the point of parody”

Reviewed at Royal Festival Hall, London on 8 January 2015

Beethoven, Symphony no. 5 in C minor, Op.67

Wagner, Das Rheingold: Entry of the Gods into Valhalla

Wagner, Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Rhine journey

Wagner, Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Death and Funeral March

Wagner, Siegfried: Forest murmurs

Wagner, Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries

Gustavo Dudamel, Conductor

Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

Grooving with The Dude: the Bolívars make Bernstein and Falla dance

Mark Pullinger, 28th August

Between gigs at Wembley as Coldplay’s support act, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra brings its distinctive brand of infectious music-making to the Southbank.

****1

Simón Bolívar Orchestra and Dudamel celebrate El Sistema

Roy Westbrook, 16th January

An evening of audience roars begins as soon as Gustavo Dudamel first mounts the podium at the Barbican.

****1

An Edinburgh night to remember as Dudamel returns to the Simón Bolívar

David Smythe, 26th August

The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel and cuatro player Jorge Glem set the Edinburgh International Festival alight with a mix of Venezuelan music and a terrific Mahler 1.

*****

Dudamel conquers Barcelona with Beethoven

Pep Gorgori, 13th March

In Barcelona, Gustavo Dudamel and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela continued their Beethoven cycle with performances of the Fifth and Sixth.

*****

Dudamel and the Bolívars: a “socks-on” kind of ensemble

Jacob Slattery, 7th October

Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and the musicians of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra are undoubtedly the most prominent ambassadors for Venezuelan orchestral music today, and they hit the stage on Friday for their second night at Carnegie Hall’s opening weekend.

***11

Cecilia Bartoli as Maria in Salzburg

Jonathan Sutherland, 13th May

A case of “seeing double” in Salzburg, as Cecilia Bartoli brings West Side Story to her Whitsun Festival.

***11

More reviews...

Gavin Dixon

Gavin Dixon is a writer, journalist and editor specialising in classical music. He writes for publications such as Gramophone, Classical Music and BBC Music Magazine. Gavin has a PhD on the symphonies of Alfred Schnittke and is a member of the editorial team for the “Alfred Schnittke Collected Works” edition. His website is here.

Dudamel drives the Simón Bolívars to opulence and excess