Game on! Success for first Prom devoted to the global genre

Gaming Prom

Robert Ames

Gaming Prom

By Roy Westbrook, 02 August 2022

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“if you want to go outside the box as far as you can…hire someone who has no idea what the box is”

Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 1 August 2022

Follin, Loading Chronos

Kondo, The Legend of Zelda

Hildur Guðnadóttir/Sam Slater, arr. Robert Ames, Battlefield 2042: suite (European premiere)

Curry, Dear Esther – I Have

Shimomura, Kingdom Hearts (excerpts)

Otani, Shadow of the Colossus (excerpts)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Robert Ames, Conductor

Magical moments with Glassberg, Kang and the RPO at Cadogan Hall

Christopher Woodley, 10th June

Fine performances of Britten's Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony testify to the superb artistry of Ben Glassberg, Clara-Jumi Kang and the RPO - but a new piece from Joe Hisaishi disappoints.

****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

Turangalîla underwhelms at the Southbank’s Multitudes festival

Roy Westbrook, 23rd April

Serious music ill-matched by filmic limitations as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra tackles Messiaen’s epic “symphony” as part of the Southbank’s cross-genre festival.

**111

Edusei’s Beethoven and Rangwanasha’s Strauss thrill at Cadogan Hall

Christopher Woodley, 26th February

Kevin John Edusei, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra celebrate the joys of a life well-lived – rounded off to the sounds of larks ascending.

****1

Petrenko’s searing Shostakovich overshadows Grosvenor’s Beethoven

Nick Boston, 3rd February

Stylish Beethoven from Benjamin Grosvenor and dramatic Ustvolskaya from Yuriy Yurchuk, but Petrenko and the RPO’s blistering Shostakovich steals the show.

****1

Charisma and colour from Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic

Chris Garlick, 7th September

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s BBC Proms matinee proves an ideal opportunity to demonstrate their strengths in a programme of Respighi, Milhaud and Vaughan Williams.

****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.

Game on! Great success for first Prom devoted to the global genre