Spirit of the dance in al fresco Istanbul Music Festival opener

By Graham Watts, 20 September 2020

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“splashes of colour in quick-fire dances that have a gypsy campfire feel”

Reviewed at Boğaziçi University South Campus, Istanbul on 20 September 2020

Beethoven, The Creatures of Prometheus, Op.43: Overture

Mozart, Violin Concerto no. 5 in A major "Turkish", K219

Prokofiev, Symphony no. 1 in D major "Classical", Op.25

Bartók, Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68

Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra

Aziz Shokhakimov, Conductor

Emre Engin, Violin

Late Romantic classics from Chausson and Brahms in Istanbul

William E Ford, 27th September

Violinist Anna Tifu and the Tekfen Philharmonic join together for a richly played Poème before Aziz Shokhakimov conducts Brahms' First Symphony.

****1

Brooding and visceral Tchaikovsky from the Tekfen Philharmonic

Benjamin Poore, 17th June

An occasionally uneven but often searing set of performances from the Tekfen Philharmonic and cellist Daniel Muller-Schott.

****1

An awesome Rite of Spring from Aziz Shokhakimov in Strasbourg

David Karlin, 25th April

The Uzbek conductor shows that he's a force to be reckoned with, revealing unimaginable amounts of detail in Stravinsky's score. Jan Lisiecki gives a carefully weighted account of Mozart.

****1

Late Romantic classics from Chausson and Brahms in Istanbul

William E Ford, 27th September

Violinist Anna Tifu and the Tekfen Philharmonic join together for a richly played Poème before Aziz Shokhakimov conducts Brahms' First Symphony.

****1

Brooding and visceral Tchaikovsky from the Tekfen Philharmonic

Benjamin Poore, 17th June

An occasionally uneven but often searing set of performances from the Tekfen Philharmonic and cellist Daniel Muller-Schott.

****1

Le conteur et le dompteur : Radulović et l’Orchestre de Strasbourg

Tristan Labouret, 26th November

Le violoniste a emporté le public dans un formidable Concerto de Khatchatourian, et le chef ouzbek a déployé ses talents de dompteur d'orchestre... au risque d'empêcher ses troupes de respirer.

****1

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Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.