A night of grand gestures from the Moscow Philharmonic and Simonov

By Alexander Hall, 11 October 2019

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“those unmistakably Russian trumpets piercing the air magnificently”

Reviewed at Cadogan Hall, London on 10 October 2019

Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture

Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor, Op.18

Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake: Suite, Op.20a ((excerpts))

Khachaturian, Gayaneh ((excerpts))

Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra

Alexandra Dariescu, Piano

Yuri Simonov, Conductor

A not so brief encounter with the Moscow Phil

Mark Pullinger, 23rd May

An earthy – if slow – Pictures at an Exhibition from Yuri Simonov and the Moscow Philharmonic in Basingstoke is like a musical step back in time.

****1

Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich with an authentic Russian accent from the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra

Peter Marks, 6th May

Though impressively performed by the Moscow players, conductor Yuri Simonov's interpretative choices did not always convince in Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony.

***11

Moscow Philharmonic and Yuri Simonov: Mussorgsky and Rachmaninov in Manchester

Rohan Shotton, 18th October

The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra enjoyed an evening of youthful exuberance in the Bridgewater Hall with an all-Russian programme, conducted with grace and refinement by Yuri Simonov.Modest Mussorgsky’s Night on the Bare Mountain explicitly paints what the composer called “Spirits of darkness...and the Black Mass” in a progressively wild orgy before the bells of dawn break the scene.

****1

Le concerto pour alto de Schnittke : la musique au-delà des normes et des barrières

Manuel Gaulhiac, 31st May

Concert Mozart - Schnittke - Brahms, qui nous permet notamment d'entendre le concerto pour alto de Schnittke, oeuvre d'une incroyable richesse stylistique et expressive.

****1

A not so brief encounter with the Moscow Phil

Mark Pullinger, 23rd May

An earthy – if slow – Pictures at an Exhibition from Yuri Simonov and the Moscow Philharmonic in Basingstoke is like a musical step back in time.

****1

Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich with an authentic Russian accent from the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra

Peter Marks, 6th May

Though impressively performed by the Moscow players, conductor Yuri Simonov's interpretative choices did not always convince in Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony.

***11

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Alexander Hall

Alexander Hall divides his time between London and Hamburg, where he had a career in academic administration and teaching. He reviews for Bachtrack and Opera Today, and has also reviewed for Classical Source. A connoisseur of the great orchestras of the world, his musical memories stretch back to Karajan/Berlin Phil, Mravinsky/Leningrad Phil, Bernstein/Vienna Phil, and he has seen most of the great conductors from the past, including Böhm, Klemperer, Kubelik, Ormandy and Szell.