Inspired by Shakespeare: a London gala

By Mark Pullinger, 24 April 2016

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Reviewed at Royal Festival Hall, London on 23 April 2016

Verdi, Otello (Excerpts)

Berlioz, Roméo et Juliette, choral symphony (Part 1)

Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet: excerpts

Tchaikovsky, Hamlet, Fantasy Overture in F minor, Op.67

Tchaikovsky, Hamlet, Incidental music, Op.67a (Excerpts)

Vaughan Williams, Serenade to Music

Britten, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Act 1, Scene 1)

Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61 (Incidental Music) (Excerpts)

Adès, The Tempest (Excperts)

Walton, Henry V: Suite (Excerpts)

Verdi, Falstaff (Act 3, Scene 2)

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Vladimir Jurowski, Conductor

Simon Callow, Director

Kate Royal, Soprano

Allison Bell, Soprano

Gabriela Iştoc, Soprano

Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Mezzo-soprano

Rachael Lloyd, Mezzo-soprano

Iestyn Davies, Countertenor

Toby Spence, Tenor

Ronald Samm, Tenor

Alasdair Elliott, Tenor

Andrew Shore, Baritone

Sir Simon Keenlyside, Baritone

Lukas Jakobski, Bass

The Glyndebourne Chorus

Trinity Boys Choir

Dominic West, Actor

Anna Chancellor, Actor

Suzanne Fischer, Soprano

Rhiannon Llewellyn, Soprano

Angharad Lyddon, Mezzo-soprano

Grace Durham, Mezzo-soprano

Niel Joubert, Tenor

Oliver Johnston, Tenor

Ed Ballard, Baritone

Benjamin Cahn, Bass-baritone

Karabits and Szeps-Znaider carouse with the LPO

Christopher Woodley, 8th April

The sparkle of Max Bruch's Fecond Violin Concerto and the drama of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony overcome the gloom of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s dark forebodings.

****1

Portraits and pictures from Ibragimova, Gardner and the LPO

Roy Westbrook, 1st April

From Three Screaming Popes to Pictures at an Exhibition, a pair of works inspired by paintings frame a violin concerto by Béla Bartók at London's Southbank Centre.

****1

Ticciati and the LPO deliver epic Sibelius plus lively Wennäkoski

Nick Boston, 25th March

Sibelius' Kullervo receives a dramatic performance from Ticciati and the LPO, with strong turns from Shenyang, Miina-Liisa Värelä and the YL Male Voice Choir.

****1

Paavo Järvi marks his new LPO appointment in Tchaikovsky and Sibelius

Mark Valencia, 4th March

Paavo Järvi demonstrates just why the London Philharmonic Orchestra has chosen him as its next Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor.

*****

Canellakis, Mutter and the LPO at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 24th February

Anne-Sophie Mutter’s commanding presence meet the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s exceptional adaptability, yielding a concert that balances tradition-steeped authority with modern transparency, rhythmic vitality and the orchestra’s own electrifying spontaneity.

****1

Phoenix Lands: the London Philharmonic blazes with energy

Charlotte Gardner, 4th February

Edward Gardner’s Bacewicz, Martinů, Lutosławski and Janáček set the Royal Festival Hall ablaze.

****1

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Inspired by Shakespeare: a London gala to celebrate The Bard