Seeking new horizons with the Royal Philharmonic

By Timmy Fisher, 28 November 2018

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“Hungarian rhythms and phrasing, glistening ‘night music’, bowel-tingling brass”

Reviewed at Cadogan Hall, London on 27 November 2018

Kodály, Dances of Galánta

Liszt, Piano Concerto no. 1 in E flat major, S 124

Bartók, Concerto for Orchestra, Sz 116

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Alexander Shelley, Conductor

Mariam Batsashvili, Piano

Edusei’s Beethoven and Rangwanasha’s Strauss thrill at Cadogan Hall

Christopher Woodley, 26th February

Kevin John Edusei, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra celebrate the joys of a life well-lived – rounded off to the sounds of larks ascending.

****1

Petrenko’s searing Shostakovich overshadows Grosvenor’s Beethoven

Nick Boston, 3rd February

Stylish Beethoven from Benjamin Grosvenor and dramatic Ustvolskaya from Yuriy Yurchuk, but Petrenko and the RPO’s blistering Shostakovich steals the show.

****1

Charisma and colour from Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic

Chris Garlick, 7th September

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s BBC Proms matinee proves an ideal opportunity to demonstrate their strengths in a programme of Respighi, Milhaud and Vaughan Williams.

****1

Perception-altering Shostakovich from Serebrennikov and Petrenko

Mark Pullinger, 27th April

As part of the Southbank Centre's Multitudes festival, Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony is given a stunning visual direction by Kirill Serebrennikov to match the RPO's gripping playing.

*****

A trio of exiled composers: Petrenko and the RPO at the RFH

David Truslove, 23rd March

Assured performances from the RPO as part of its ongoing “Lights in the Dark” series that brought career correspondences between three markedly different composers.

****1

Giltburg’s Beethoven enlightens the dark between Berg and Stravinsky

Roy Westbrook, 26th January

Vasily Petrenko frames his Royal Philharmonic Orchestra programme with Berg and Stravinsky, with Boris Giltburg playing Beethoven's Emperor Concerto in between.

****1

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Timmy Fisher

Timmy read musicology at Durham University, studying composition with Richard Rijnvos. He has written for Gramophone and The Spectator, and composes for both film and the concert hall. He has a special interest in contemporary choral music, and co-hosts The Classical Music Pod with Sam Poppleton, available on iTunes and Spotify. Follow him on twitter at @timmy_fisher.