Time regained, repertoire rediscovered

By Zoltán Szabó, 16 June 2015

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“the most beautiful music that I so far experienced in our century’s output”

Reviewed at City Recital Hall, Sydney on 15 June 2015

Saint-Saëns, Cello Sonata no. 1 in C minor, Op.32

Fauré, Cello Sonata no. 2 in G minor, Op.117

Adès, Lieux retrouvés

Franck, Violin Sonata in A major

Steven Isserlis, Cello

Connie Shih, Piano

Schumann and Fauré rarities in an exceptional evening at Wigmore Hall

Chris Garlick, 23rd April

An thoroughly entertaining evening of a very high level of musicianship from Steven Isserlis and friends at Wigmore Hall.

*****

Three Pieces from 1918 at the Cheltenham Music Festival

Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres, 13th July

Red, white and blue bunting, with matching lighting, adorned the balconies of Cheltenham Town Hall, setting a patriotic scene for a concert of music from the year that World War I ended. Television presenter Julia Somerville opened the evening sat at a vintage newsdesk with her own careful research, for which she can be highly commended.

****1

Back to 1915: Kraggerud, Isserlis and more at the Cheltenham Music Festival

Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres, 11th July

The concert opened with BBC newsreader Julia Somerville, summarising news from the year 1915 at an old-fashioned broadcasting desk complete with microphone. It was informative, and set the scene for this recital, one in a series of ‘time capsule’ concerts, solely featuring music composed in 1915 – including two of Debussy’s last chamber pieces.

****1

Du, par et pour le public : le Philharmonique de Radio France à Lyon

Augustin Javel, 12th December

Ambiance particulière à l'Auditorium de Lyon où en plein conflit social à Radio France s'est tenu un concert de l'Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France avec Philippe Herreweghe.

****1

A big night for Bruckner with Simone Young and the NY Phil

Susan Stempleski, 1st May

The Australian conductor leads a superb performance of Bruckner’s Sixth paired with Steven Isserlis playing Schumann’s Cello Concerto.

****1

Singapore witnesses a completion of Schubert’s “Unfinished”

Chang Tou Liang, 20th December

Mario Venzago and Steven Isserlis share an unusual programme of Kabalevsky and Schubert at the Victoria Concert Hall.

****1

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Zoltán Szabó

Zoltán Szabó is a cellist and musicologist. Having migrated from his native Hungary to Australia in 1985, he worked with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Sydney until 1991, when he became Principal Cello with Opera Australia. In 2017, he was awarded with a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD). Currently, he is teaching music history and musicology at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Time regained, repertoire rediscovered: Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih in Sydney recital