Prom 14: Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic go for contrasts

By Alexander Hall, 25 July 2018

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Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 24 July 2018

Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Prelude to Act 1

Schubert, Die junge Nonne; Gretchen am Spinnrade; Lied der Mignon; Erlkönig (orch. Liszt)

Zimmermann, Symphony in One Movement

Schubert, Fantasy in C major, D760, ‘Wanderer’ (orch. Liszt)

Sibelius, Symphony no. 7 in C major, Op.105

Elizabeth Watts, Soprano

Louis Lortie, Piano

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

John Storgårds, Conductor

Wagner and Strauss from Sarah Wegener and the BBC Philharmonic

Leighton Jones, 14th March

Celtic legends and dramatic landscapes fill Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall in an evening of emotional and reflective music under conductor Nicholas Carter.

****1

Watery worlds, rhythmic fire from Brauß and Hickox with the BBC

Leighton Jones, 7th February

Elisabeth Brauß excels in Ravel with the BBC Philharmonic and brings and unexpected encore.

****1

BBC Phil's Bluebeard's Castle eclipsed by Boulanger and Kodály

Peter Connors, 24th January

Anja Bihlmaier conducts the BBC Philharmonic in a moving D'un soir triste and joyful Dances of Galánta. Bluebeard's Castle, despite some fine things. feels less satisfying.

****1

Questions, answers and city nights: Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic

Leighton Jones, 17th January

In three hugely different musical voices, John Storgårds with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra move from the intimacy of Ives to the exhilaration of Adams, taking in Beethoven on their way.

****1

John Storgårds leads the BBC Philharmonic through Shostakovich

Rohan Shotton, 15th November

The BBC Phil's chief conductor led a relentless account of Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony, paired with Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.

****1

Thunderous Mahler from Elena Schwarz and the BBC Philharmonic

Rohan Shotton, 8th November

Elena Schwarz conducts the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Mahler's First Symphony, Debussy's La Mer and a rare outing for a trombone concerto.

****1

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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.