José Soares makes his mark with the MÁV Symphony in Budapest

By Alexander Hall, 30 April 2022

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“the viola section here producing a consistently deep and burnished quality”

Reviewed at Liszt Academy: Grand Hall, Budapest on 29 April 2022

Villa-Lobos, Bachianas Brasileiras: no. 9 for string orchestra

Dvořák, Cello Concerto in B minor, Op.104

Dvořák, Symphony no. 8 in G major, Op.88

Michaela Fukačová, Cello

MAV Symphony Orchestra

José Soares, Conductor

Pass the baton: Järvi Academy's conducting relay

Mark Pullinger, 20th July

Eleven conductors get to strut their stuff in an eclectic programme in Pärnu.

Staatskapelle Dresden’s sonic alchemy at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 2nd June

From the earthy joy of Meistersinger to the sublime textures of Debussy, Daniele Gatti channels the Dresdeners' legendary, layered warmth into an unforgettable evening of pure acoustic luxury.

****1

Jurowski marks Hans Werner Henze’s centenary at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 31st May

Vladimir Jurowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin deliver a lean, razor-sharp exploration of captivity and survival, balancing Beethoven’s and Brahms’ structural clarity against the devastating, high-fidelity distortion of Henze’s Ninth Symphony.

****1

Kissin, Bell and Isserlis: remembrance and loss at Carnegie Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 31st May

Solomon Rosowsky, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky form a matinee programme whose deeper connections gradually came into focus.

****1

Mischievous Pan at Hong Kong Sinfonietta’s French May

Christopher Halls, 30th May

French clarinettist Raphaël Sévère unearths beauty in Nielsen’s concerto and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta impress in two settings of Pan’s antics at the French May Festival.

****1

An azure secret: Yunchan Lim’s star power at Wigmore Hall

Asher Rubenstein, 29th May

The Korean pianist astonishes in Schubert and Scriabin, in a performance sure to be a highlight of Wigmore Hall’s 125th anniversary festivities.

*****

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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.