The Human Body Festival in Amsterdam

By Rosemary Carlton-Willis, 28 January 2014

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Reviewed at Concertgebouw: Recital Hall, Amsterdam on 25 January 2014

Bain, The Archisonic

Mensingh, Style Wars IV 'Postmodernism Strikes Back'

Pärt, Spiegel im Spiegel

Gwyneth Wentink, Harp

Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer, Clarinet

Wouter Snoei, Electronics

Frank Dupree's Liverpool debut has the audience crying out for more

Glyn Mon Hughes, 14th May

A concert celebrating the 250th anniversary of the USA saw Liverpool audiences treated to a sumptuous Copland as well as a symphony as well as a barn-storming performance of Gershwin and Duke Ellington, performed by Frank Dupree who was making his debut with the RLPO.

*****

Hilary Hahn’s French odyssey of refinement and fire in Dublin

Andrew Larkin, 14th May

Two technical mishaps punctuate the evening, but Hilary Hahn maintains poise throughout a French programme crowned by a finely judged, deeply expressive performance of Fauré.

****1

Energetic Currentzis and Utopia at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 12th May

From Berg’s crystalline intimacy to Dionysian Mahler, Teodor Currentzis and Utopia defy orchestral tradition with standing musicians, spatial acoustics and an emotional intensity that breathes new life into the concert life.

****1

Korngold and Mahler from Ray Chen, Vasily Petrenko and the RPO

Roy Westbrook, 12th May

Few violin concertos soar from the first bar as Erich Korngold’s does, especially as in Ray Chen's high-wire account at the Royal Albert Hall.

****1

Petr Popelka delivers a thrilling opening for Prague Spring

Frank Kuznik, 12th May

With Petr Popelka on the podium, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra brings a native feel and colorful exuberance to a cultural icon.

****1

Clara Yang’s immersive piano recital gets lost in the clouds

Kurt Gottschalk, 11th May

Prerecorded acoustic guitar, soft beats and more piano accompany video of jittery yellow circles and masses of illegible text in a concert that feels both meditative and too much to take in

**111

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Rosemary Carlton-Willis

Rosemary Carlton-Willis is a soprano based in the Netherlands. She has one masters degree in Music (Historical Performance) from the University of York, and a second in Singing from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she studied in both the Classical and Early Music departments. She has worked for the York Early Music Festival, the National Centre for Early Music and the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall.

The Human Body Festival: A fascinating collaborative performance in Amsterdam