Sumptuous song and assured Rachmaninov from Storgårds and the BBC Phil

Dame Sarah Connolly and the BBC Philharmonic

John Storgårds conducts the BBC Philharmonic

By Nick Boston, 10 August 2023

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“Connolly shaped the melodic line with strong dramatic interest”

Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 9 August 2023

Weber, Oberon: Overture

Pejačević, 2 Butterfly Songs, Op.52

Pejačević, Transformation, Op.37

Pejačević, Liebeslied, Op.39

Mahler, Die stille Stadt (orch. C. & D. Matthews)

Mahler, Licht in der Nacht (orch. C. & D. Matthews)

Mahler, Bei dir ist es traut (orch. C. & D. Matthews)

Rachmaninov, Symphony no. 1 in D minor, Op.13

Dame Sarah Connolly, Mezzo-soprano

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

John Storgårds, Conductor

Wagner and Strauss from Sarah Wegener and the BBC Philharmonic

Leighton Jones, 14th March

Celtic legends and dramatic landscapes fill Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall in an evening of emotional and reflective music under conductor Nicholas Carter.

****1

Watery worlds, rhythmic fire from Brauß and Hickox with the BBC

Leighton Jones, 7th February

Elisabeth Brauß excels in Ravel with the BBC Philharmonic and brings and unexpected encore.

****1

BBC Phil's Bluebeard's Castle eclipsed by Boulanger and Kodály

Peter Connors, 24th January

Anja Bihlmaier conducts the BBC Philharmonic in a moving D'un soir triste and joyful Dances of Galánta. Bluebeard's Castle, despite some fine things. feels less satisfying.

****1

Questions, answers and city nights: Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic

Leighton Jones, 17th January

In three hugely different musical voices, John Storgårds with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra move from the intimacy of Ives to the exhilaration of Adams, taking in Beethoven on their way.

****1

John Storgårds leads the BBC Philharmonic through Shostakovich

Rohan Shotton, 15th November

The BBC Phil's chief conductor led a relentless account of Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony, paired with Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.

****1

Thunderous Mahler from Elena Schwarz and the BBC Philharmonic

Rohan Shotton, 8th November

Elena Schwarz conducts the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Mahler's First Symphony, Debussy's La Mer and a rare outing for a trombone concerto.

****1

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Nick Boston

Nick has an MA in Music, specialising in performance and repertoire. His particular passions are choral music, chamber music and opera, with a particular interest in early music. He sings in a number of choirs in the south east of England, plays the piano and occasionally dusts off the violin. He writes about music here.

Sumptuous song and assured Rachmaninov from Connolly, Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic