The Bohemians and Britten: Simon Rattle/LSO

By Mark Valencia, 19 September 2018

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“Rattle at the helm was in his element... smiling, encouraging and robust with artistic certainty”

Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 18 September 2018

Dvořák, Slavonic Dance no. 1 in C major, Op.46 no.1

Dvořák, Slavonic Dance no. 2 in E minor, Op.46 no.2

Dvořák, Slavonic Dance no. 3 in A flat major, Op.46 no.3

Dvořák, Slavonic Dance no. 4 in F major, op.46 no.4

Dvořák, Slavonic Dance no. 7 in C minor, Op.46 no.7

Janáček, Sinfonietta, Op.60

Britten, Spring Symphony for soloists, mixed choir, children's choir and orchestra, Op.44

Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor

London Symphony Orchestra

Elizabeth Watts, Soprano

Alice Coote, Mezzo-soprano

Allan Clayton, Tenor

London Symphony Chorus

Simon Halsey, Choirmaster / chorus director

Tiffin Choirs

Han Kang’s The White Book takes on a compelling new life

Peter Quantrill, 5th March

At the Barbican, Laura Bowler's new work for Barbara Hannigan translates Han Kang's novel into a soundscape of icy stillness

****1

A curious evening from Noseda, Kopatchinskaja and the LSO

Mark Valencia, 26th February

Good, bad, but never ugly, a curious evening unfolds at the Barbican, inspired at times, ill-judged in places.

***11

Borodin steps into the symphonic limelight: Noseda and the LSO

Mark Pullinger, 15th February

Seong-Jin Cho continues his Artist Portrait series with the LSO by performing Chopin's poetic Second Piano Concerto.

****1

Rattle and the LSO sell a travel package to Hungary and Spain

Roy Westbrook, 18th January

Opening her LSO Artist Portrait series, Patricia Kopatchinskaja plays Béla Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto before Rattle and the LSO whisk the audience to Falla’s Andalusia.

****1

Rare Vaughan Williams from Pappano and the LSO

Chris Garlick, 7th December

Tchaikovsky and Vaughan Williams make rare bedfellows, but Pappano's grip on these disparate scores impresses, with the London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra on wondrous form.

****1

Top drawer French music from Ott, Bloch and the LSO

Roy Westbrook, 27th November

Debussy and Ravel frame a performance of Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra as Alexandre Bloch guests with the London Symphony Orchestra.

****1

More reviews...

Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.

The Bohemians and Britten: Simon Rattle and the LSO launch their season