Folksongs, sung songs and songful Brahms from Britten Sinfonia

By Roy Westbrook, 19 January 2019

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Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 17 January 2019

Britten, A Suite on English Folk Tunes "A Time There Was" for chamber orchestra, Op.90

Mahler, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Brahms, Symphony no. 2 in D major, Op.73

Paula Murrihy, Mezzo-soprano

Britten Sinfonia

Sir Mark Elder, Conductor

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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Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.