A breath of Scandinavian fresh air from Sakari Oramo and the BBCSO

Johan Dalene and the BBC Symphony Orchestra

Sakari Oramo

Johan Dalene, Sakari Oramo and the BBCSO

By Chris Garlick, 10 December 2023

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“Oramo’s grasp of the unusual structure and mood swings of the work is second to none”

Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 8 December 2023

Nielsen, An Imaginary Journey to the Faroe Islands

Monnakgotla, Globe Skimmer Surfing the Somali Jet – Violin Concerto (world premiere)

Kreisler, Recitativo and Scherzo-Caprice, Op.6

Sibelius, Symphony no. 6 in D minor, Op.104

Sibelius, Symphony no. 7 in C major, Op.105

Johan Dalene, Violin

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Sakari Oramo, Conductor

Sakari Oramo and Yeol Eum Son summon up vivid landscapes

Christopher Woodley, 13th March

Yeol Eum Son's superb performances of Bartók and Finzi are matched by intense and heady readings of Stravinsky and Weir by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo.

****1

From snow to sludge: Icelandic music at the Barbican Centre

Marat Ingeldeev, 22nd February

A bewildering evening at the Barbican, where ambitious Icelandic programming collapses under its lofty ambition of defying genres and making music more appealing to a wide variety of audiences.

**111

Fine Lindberg and Stravinsky double bill from the BBC Symphony

Roy Westbrook, 6th February

After a performance of Magnus Lindberg’s First Violin Concerto by Lisa Batiashvili at the Barbican, Stravinsky’s Perséphone stands the test of time.

****1

UK premiere of Julia Wolfe’s unEarth impresses on scale, not substance

Susannah Moody, 23rd January

Wolfe's climate-change oratorio, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, already feels out of date.

**111

Sir James MacMillan delights with his Christmas Oratorio

David Karlin, 19th December

MacMillan's large scale choral work offers a rich variety of texts and musical ideas, the composer conducts the BBC Symphony with unerring precision.

*****

Ermonela Jaho gives a tragic twist to Puccini's La rondine

Peter Quantrill, 5th December

A new edition of Puccini's score springs to life in a meticulously prepared Opera Rara concert performance at the Barbican.

****1

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Chris Garlick

Chris Garlick is the co-founder of Signal Gallery in Hoxton. His first degree was in music, training as a classical composer. Chris has written about art frequently in Art of England magazine, Artist and Illustrator for online blogs.