Proms Saturday Matinee 3: Camerata Ireland and Barry Douglas travel around Britten

By Paul Kilbey, 12 August 2013

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Reviewed at Cadogan Hall, London on 10 August 2013

Britten, Young Apollo

Berkeley, Serenade for Strings

Shostakovich, Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor for piano, trumpet and string orchestra, Op.35

Rainier, Movement for strings (world première)

Britten, Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge for string orchestra, Op.10

Alison Balsom, Trumpet

Camerata Ireland

Barry Douglas, Piano, Director

Sułkowska-Migoń’s Dublin programme crowned by a white-hot Scheherazade

Andrew Larkin, 16th January

Works by Boulanger and Shostakovich pay off handsomely before Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, shaped with dynamic control and visceral energy, crowns a vividly played concert.

****1

Estonian National Symphony Orchestra impresses at the Perth Festival

David Smythe, 20th May

Intense Pärt, vivid Rachmaninov with Barry Douglas and dramatic Dvořák on the most northerly point on the orchestra's UK tour.

****1

Imperial Beethoven and riddling Shostakovich from Rana and Noseda

Roy Westbrook, 6th February

In this performance of Shostakovich's final symphony, the ‘Fate’ motif from Wagner’s Ring suggested the LSO brass had been moonlighting in Bayreuth.

****1

Crisp Rachmaninov from Barry Douglas in Belfast

Leighton Jones, 10th May

Barry Douglas, in his home town, gives an excellent reading of a piece central to his repertoire,while Olari Elts puts the Ulster Orchestra through their paces in a highly colourful Petrushka.

****1

Rachmaninov with an authentic Russian flavour at Cadogan Hall

Mark Pullinger, 4th October

The Russian State Symphony Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko celebrates its heritage with an evening of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov

****1

Barry Douglas majestic with below par Czech NSO

Mark Thomas, 18th April

An imperious Barry Douglas provided a magisterial Emperor Concerto in an otherwise disappointing concert from the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.

**111

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Paul Kilbey

Paul was Reviews Editor at Bachtrack from 2012 to February 2014. He has written on music and culture for publications including Culture Wars, the Huffington Post, the Independent and the Guardian. He holds BA and MPhil degrees in music from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and is particularly passionate about contemporary music of all types. His website is here.