From Evil Empire to Grail Fellowship: The Symphony Orchestra of India

By Roy Westbrook, 09 December 2023

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“his judgement of tempo and balance was that of a master Wagnerian”

Reviewed at Cadogan Hall, London on 8 December 2023

Williams, Film music from Star Wars: The Imperial March

Brahms, Piano Concerto no. 2 in B flat major, Op.83

Schubert, Six moments musicaux, D.780 no. 3 in F minor Allegro moderato

Wagner, Parsifal: symphonic suite (arr. Gourlay)

Richard Farnes, Conductor

Pavel Kolesnikov, Piano

Symphony Orchestra of India

When East meets West: the Symphony Orchestra of India in London Town

Alexander Hall, 30th November

Visiting orchestras often bring something special with them: here it was a newly commissioned triple concerto for classical Indian instruments. Alpesh Chauhan impresses in Stravinsky, less so in Richard Strauss.

***11

Safety first: the Symphony Orchestra of India makes its London debut

Mark Pullinger, 20th February

An evening of different musical flavours, but none, as yet, are quite distinctive on the palate.

***11

L'Inde au Victoria Hall : le tabla de Zakir Hussain aux honneurs.

Thomas Muller, 21st January

L'Orchestre Symphonique d'Inde et Zakir Hussain ont donné au Victoria Hall un moment de rêverie orientale totalement envoûtant... Chapeau bas à cet ensemble si neuf et qui a prouvé un sens de la cohésion et de la musicalité qui n'a rien à envier aux ensembles européens.

****1

Jonathan Miller’s Rigoletto, Godfather of opera productions, returns

Mark Valencia, 30th October

Jonathan Miller’s game-changing mafioso setting of Rigoletto returns to the Coliseum, vividly conducted by Richard Farnes.

***11

Curtain rises on ENO’s Traviata revival

Dominic Lowe, 23rd October

Peter Konwitschny's production of La traviata has its flaws, but in an age of protracted media there is much to be said for his taut production of Verdi's most famous tragedy.

***11

Wagner's music conquers all qualms in Opera North's Parsifal

Richard Wilcocks, 1st June

Richard Farnes returns to Opera North to conduct and Sam Brown directs a concert staging of Wagner's final opera, Parsifal.

****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.

From Evil Empire to Grail Fellowship: The Symphony Orchestra of India at Cadogan Hall