Prom 70: startling sounds from Jonny Greenwood at the Proms

By Benjamin Poore, 11 September 2019

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“gleaming and weightless music, lingering in the piano’s upper register”

Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 10 September 2019

Biber, Mystery (Rosary) Sonatas No. 16 – Passacaglia in G minor

Penderecki, Sinfonietta for strings – Vivace

Greenwood, Three Miniatures from Water – No. 3

Reich, Pulse

Greenwood, Horror vacui – for solo violin and 68 strings (BBC commission: world premiere)

Daniel Pioro, Violin

Katherine Tinker, Piano

Jonny Greenwood, Bass Guitar/Tanpura

Nicolas Magriel, Tanpura

BBC Proms Youth Ensemble

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Hugh Tieppo-Brunt, Conductor

Nail-biting Shostakovich from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Dominic Lowe, 15th August

Before a searing performance of Shostakovich's Thirteenth from Ryan Bancroft and his Welsh forces, Benjamin Grosvenor delivers a terrific performance of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major.

****1

Bancroft and BBCNOW at the Proms: a deeply satisfying Mahler 3

David Karlin, 11th August

Bancroft and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales provide a Mahler 3 of exceptional clarity and forward momentum, with terrific posthorn solos from Corey Morris and Beth Taylor an outstanding soloist.

****1

Exciting Bacewicz and Lutosławski from Tadaaki Otaka and the BBC NOW

Nick Boston, 30th July

Strong performances of Bacewicz and Lutosławski in Tadaaki Otaka's final outing with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Proms, with technically commanding and sincere Rachmaninov from Vadym Kholodenko.

***11

Nil Venditti impresses in BBC Proms debut

Christopher Woodley, 12th August

Beethoven and Sir Karl Jenkins receive top-notch performances from Nil Venditti and the BBC NOW.

****1

A choral treat to savour: Verdi’s Requiem at the BBC Proms

David Karlin, 23rd July

An outstanding choral performance by nearly 300 singers of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and the Crouch End Festival Chorus lights up Verdi’s hybrid of opera and devotional music.

*****

Music that eats into you: Schoenberg and Zemlinsky at the BBC Proms

Alexander Hall, 22nd July

The Proms are often very clever at recreating musical events from the past. Here, two works originally premiered in 1905 are given a fresh outing by Ryan Bancroft and BBC NOW.

****1

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Benjamin Poore

Benjamin Poore is a writer and critic. His book on psychoanalysis and literature is forthcoming in 2019. He has previously written about literature and culture for the Independent, the Times Literary Supplement, and Times Higher Education. In his spare time he tries to sing Schubert; he has a very patient teacher.