London Sinfonietta gives eloquent testimony to Schoenberg's greatness

Jonathan Berman conducts the London Sinfonietta

By Christopher Woodley, 21 October 2024

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“a vivid snapshot of the ways in which the composer reshaped his inheritance”

Reviewed at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London on 20 October 2024

Schoenberg, Serenade, Op.24

Webern, Symphony, Op.21

Schoenberg, Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte for Voice, Piano and String Quartet, Op.41

Schoenberg, Six Little Piano Pieces Op.19

Lutyens, Six Tempi for 10 Instruments, Op.42

Schoenberg, Chamber Symphony no. 1 in E major, Op.9

London Sinfonietta

Jonathan Berman, Conductor

Richard Burkhard, Baritone, Speaker

Andrew Zolinsky, Piano

London Sinfonietta explodes fixed views of Boulez

Roy Westbrook, 5th October

Pierre Boulez died in 2016, but on this evidence of this exploration into …explosante-fixe…, his music will live on.

*****

Patterns in motion: Sasha Waltz & Guests dance Riley’s In C

Marat Ingeldeev, 29th April

An evening of thrilling choreography and seamless synergy between dance and music, as Sasha Waltz & Guests and the London Sinfonietta bring Terry Riley’s legendary In C to life.

****1

London Sinfonietta's ‘Hidden Voices’ lack a narrative strand

Susannah Moody, 3rd April

The London Sinfonietta blends premieres and poetry in a confusing evening at the Southbank Centre.

**111

London Sinfonietta’s spectacular exploration of Cage and Boulez

Marat Ingeldeev, 9th March

Musical cross-pollination came to life in London Sinfonietta’s electrifying performance, in a seamless blend of theatre, history and virtuosic playing.

*****

London Sinfonietta weave Love Lines with passion and drama

Christopher Woodley, 6th December

Engaging performances, including two world premieres, are served up by one of Kings Place's partners in the ‘Scotland Unwrapped’ season.

****1

Failing better, sounding again: Beckett and Feldman at the Southbank

Marat Ingeldeev, 29th November

Beckett’s theatrical precision and Feldman’s fragile soundscapes cross paths at the Southbank Centre, creating a fleeting beauty in a profound artistic dialogue.

****1

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Christopher Woodley

Christopher’s professional background is in the public sector, and includes a spell in music librarianship. A composer, he is a keen follower of contemporary music and has attended all but four editions of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, including the first concert in 1978. Other musical passions include a fascination with the “bad boys” of the New Complexity fixation, particularly the god-like Brian Ferneyhough – arguably the best thing to have come out of Coventry. When not listening to Boulez, Christopher relaxes by frequenting the fields, orchards, woodlands and pubs on the Weald of Kent, where he lives.

Remembering Schoenberg: London Sinfonietta gives eloquent testimony to his greatness