Opium, a serpent and French bassoons: Much Ado about Berlioz

By Mark Pullinger, 27 May 2014

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“the four bassoons were the heroes of the evening... as ripe as oozing Camembert”

Reviewed at Cadogan Hall, London on 26 May 2014

Berlioz, Béatrice et Bénédict: Overture

Berlioz, Les Nuits d'été, Op.7

Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, Op.14

La Chambre Philharmonique

Emmanuel Krivine, Conductor

Michèle Losier, Mezzo-soprano

La Chambre Philharmonique au Victoria Hall de Genève

Thomas Muller, 14th December

Svetlin Roussev magistral navigua sur une mer définitivement bien morne, Krivine ne parvenant pas à faire accoucher à la Chambre Philarmonique autre chose qu’un Brahms amaigri et décharné… Dommage pour nous.

***11

Poetry and panache: Bavouzet excels in Ravel with the LPO

Mark Pullinger, 14th February

The French pianist's account of Ravel's G major concerto is the highlight of a nearly all-French programme under Emmanuel Krivine.

***11

A disappointing Symphonie fantastique to finish the SCO's season

Simon Thompson, 9th May

The SCO finishes their season by returning to the Symphonie fantastique, but it's left in the dust by a lovely Fauré Requiem.

***11

Energetic outings for Krivine and Kozhukhin

Sam Jacobson, 17th November

A Liszt tone poem, a Prokofiev piano concerto, and a Dvořák symphony made for a high-octane CSO program with conductor Emmanuel Krivine and pianist Denis Kozhukhin.

***11

Tharaud and Krivine enlighten Paris with Ravel and Bartók

Constance Clara Guibert, 13th November

Within the framework of a concert series entitled “Alexandre Tharaud domaine privé” (“Alexandre Tharaud’s Private Domain”) at the Cité de la Musique in Paris, the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra and its musical director Emmanuel Krivine chose an eclectic program with three very different pieces showcasing the orchestra’s great abilities: J.

****1

German Romanticism with Emmanuel Krivine and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg

Leopold Tobisch, 8th December

It is said that whilst developing a successful career as a violinist, the young Emmanuel Krivine was advised by the distinguished conductor Karl Böhm to further pursue his passion for conducting. Thankfully, Krivine took heed of such advice, or we would not today have what is undoubtedly one of Europe’s finest conductors.

****1

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.