Tag Archives: BBC Symphony Orchestra

Arcana at the BBC Proms – Soloists, Epiphoni Consort, BBC Symphony Chorus & Orchestra / Nil Venditti: Respighi & Rossini

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Federica Lombardi (soprano), Chiara Amarù (mezzo-soprano), Dave Monaco (tenor), Nicola Ulivieri (bass), Epiphoni Consort, BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra / Nil Venditti

Respighi Church Windows (Vetrate di chiesa) (1925-26)
Rossini Stabat Mater (1831-1841)

Royal Albert Hall, London
Friday 7 August 2026

Reviewed by Ben Hogwood Photos (c) BBC / Mark Allan

Friday night is Italian night at the BBC Proms, it would seem. Two weeks after John Wilson’s blistering account of Respighi’s Roman Trilogy, we had a sequel of sorts headed by Italian-Turkish conductor Nil Venditti, marshalling a double bill from Respighi and Rossini, a composer he much admired.

As we heard two weeks back, Respighi was no shrinking violet when writing for orchestra, a point reemphasised by this first Proms performance of Church Windows. This is the sort of orchestral music on which the Royal Albert Hall thrives – descriptive, colourful, bold, brash in places but beautifully controlled in others. One of these moments was Adam Lee’s clarinet solo, exquisitely spun.

Less obviously demonstrative than the Roman poems, Church Windows nonetheless softened the heart with its invocations of Gregorian chants and chorales, woven into Respighi’s writing. Not all were successful in performance, the horn theme of San Michele Arcangelo taking a while to align with Venditti’s tempo, but this movement grew into a tumultuous finish, the tam-tam describing Satan’s fall from heaven. A tender account of Il mattutino di Santa Chiara (The Matins of St Clare) found the BBC SO woodwind on fine form, but the finale, San Gregorio Magno (St Gregory the Great) carried all before it, Richard Pearce’s barnstorming organ solo briefly smothering the orchestra before a brilliantly manoeuvred climax. Once again, the ears were ringing, and while this may not have registered so highly on the Richter scale, it was nonetheless a qualified triumph.

Rossini’s Stabat Mater is similarly unconventional. Its long gestation period would suggest a creative block, but the final composition, finished after a decade, is a profound utterance. Venditti kept things moving here, and with an evident love for the piece, from the solemn choral intoning of the Stabat mater dolorosa itself, through the sequence of arias which found the soloists taking a little while to adjust to the acoustic of the hall. A healthy balance was found, though bass Nicola Ulivieri, a commanding presence, was appreciably louder than his three colleagues – each of whom were dramatic in their responses to the text. Tenor Dave Monaco nailed his top notes with impressive precision in the Cujus animam gementem, soprano Federica Lombardi was bright and commendably unforced with the chorus throughout Inflammatus et accensus, while mezzo-soprano Chiara Amarù shone in the Fac, ut portem Christi mortem.

Yet the real stars of this performance were the London-based Epiphoni Consort, making their Proms debut, and the BBC Symphony Chorus, both extremely well drilled and of one voice. The antiphonal exchanges of ‘Paradisi gloria’ in the Quando corpus morietur section were memorable, but the crowning glory was the ‘Amen’ finale, where Rossini – and the charismatic Venditti – let loose in the thrilling tour de force of powerful counterpoint. A special mention for timpanist Antoine Bedewi, too, whose role throughout was critical. This was the choir’s to bring home, however, and they delivered with style and panache, convincing audience and listeners of Rossini’s original inspiration and dramatic instinct. A refreshingly different Prom, and how good to hear two less familiar but deserving works in performances that made them shine.

You can listen to this Proms concert on BBC Sounds until the end of September 2026.

Published post no.2,977 – Saturday 8 August 2026

BBC Proms 2026 – The First Night

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by Ben Hogwood Photo (c) Chris Christodoulou

The 2026 edition of the BBC Proms is underway! With a Transatlantic first night, the BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC Symphony Orchestra under Dalia Stasevska were joined by pianist Yunchan Lim for a special performance of Ravel‘s Piano Concerto.

Flanking this were two pieces celebrating America’s 250th ‘birthday’, Copland‘s Fanfare for the Common Man and Gershwin‘s An American in Paris, while French-British composer Josephine Stephenson was the ideal choice to write a first night premiere, That the sunrise not leave us unmoved.

Wrapping up the night was a rare performance of Finzi‘s For St Cecilia, a choral work of typical mystery and elegance but one that deserved its rare moment in the sun. Choral and orchestral forces then gave an encore of the Oasis song Wonderwall, acknowledging the England team’s prowess in the World Cup. A red card for its choice, I’m afraid – and a shame to have Finzi’s contribution immediately overshadowed in this way. Wonderwall is a great song, but felt miscast here.

Enough of my griping, though – as we should acknowledge many people enjoyed the inclusion, and the night as a whole was a celebratory indication of what we can expect to indulge in over the next eight weeks. Truly something for everyone.

You can watch the First Night of the Proms on the BBC iPlayer

In Concert – BBC Symphony Orchestra / Martyn Brabbins @ Maida Vale Studios: Liadov & Tchaikovsky

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BBC Symphony Orchestra / Martyn Brabbins (above)

Liadov Ballade: About Olden Times Op.21b (1889)
Tchaikovsky Symphony no.1 in G minor Op.13 ‘Winter Daydreams’ (1866)

Studio 1, BBC Maida Vale Studios, London
Tuesday 13 January 2026 (2:30pm)

Reviewed by Ben Hogwood

The BBC Symphony Orchestra and Martyn Brabbins provided the ideal antidote for a dark and wet January afternoon with this winsome hour of music at the BBC Studios in Maida Vale.

They began with a rarity. It is a regret that the 19th century Russian composer Anatoly Liadov did not write more large-scale orchestral works, for his short form pieces are both evocative and colourful. The ballade About Olden Times appears to be an orchestration of a piano piece with the same name, and it captured the sentimental and soulful qualities of old Russian folksong without overdoing a heart-on-sleeve approach. The influence of Liadov’s teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov, was evident in the imaginative orchestration, and the cello section bore the palm for their rendering of the particularly beautiful opening tune.

About Olden Times was written two years after Liadov met Tchaikovsky, who by then was well-established as a symphonist and a composer for the stage. There are strong hints of this potential in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no.1, written just after the composer graduated from St Petersburg Conservatory. Carrying the subtitle Winter Daydreams, it is an accomplished piece combining youthful vigour and freshness with impressive craftsmanship; displaying also the scene-setting abilities that would serve Tchaikovsky well in his symphonic poems.

Often interpretations of this piece look backwards towards Mendelssohn and Schumann, but Martyn Brabbins saw the work as a springboard to Tchaikovsky’s future success in opera and ballet, as well as that of a red-blooded, symphonic thinker. The first movement, Dreams of a Winter Journey, was beautifully shaded and led with poise and purpose by the BBC SO winds. There was a particularly beautiful oboe solo (thought to be from Alison Teale) for the Adagio, subtitled Land of Desolation, Land of Mists, its theme taken up with heart-melting emotion by the strings.

The untitled Scherzo was coolly played but fresh to the ear, the music warming appreciably for the Trio section where a charming waltz tune unfolded. The finale was terrific, Brabbins accentuating the contrast between its downcast introduction and the rush of positivity as Tchaikovsky transforms from minor to major key for an exultant, homeward-bound theme. The winter journey was over, with spring now in the air as Brabbins paced the final acceleration to perfection, the symphony’s bracing closing bars capping a thoroughly enjoyable hour of music.

Listen

You can hear this concert as part of Classical Live, to be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Monday 26 January, and available on BBC Sounds.

Published post no.2,767 – Wednesday 14 January 2026

News – Guy Johnston to give the world premiere of Joseph Phibbs’ Cello Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra on 16th January

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from the press release, published by Ben Hogwood

On 16 January 2026, Johnston will give the world premiere of Joseph Phibbs’ Cello Concerto at the Barbican with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Clemens Schuldt.  In 2021,Johnston previously premiered Joseph Phibbs’ Cello Sonata, partly based on an Elizabethan pavane found in the archive of Hatfield House.

Phibbs (below) says about the work:

“This concerto is in five movements, the first and last scored for cello and strings only. The work opens softly with a short Invocation – a type of prayer – which leads without a break to an ebullient and at times abrasive Aubade, the cello moving from its lowest to highest range. The subdued central Elegy hones in on the celebrated lyrical qualities of the cello, before an agitated Notturno presents an unsettled, ever-shifting dialogue between the cello and orchestra, with a virtuoso cadenza featuring towards its close. A short Vocalise, adapted from a sonata Guy commissioned several years ago, ends the work on a note of resolution.

As one of the very finest cellists of his generation, I wanted to bring out Guy’s extraordinary expressive qualities as well as his dazzling technical prowess. The result was music which is often lyrical and emotionally direct sitting alongside that which is harder-edged, and at times frenetically virtuosic.”

This concerto appearance is part of a wider cello odyssey to record the major British cello repertoire. Following the digital release of the Bliss Cello Concerto with the RLPO on Onyx Classics in July 2025, Guy recorded Tavener’s The Protecting Veil with Britten Sinfonia in St Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral in October 2025 to be released on Signum in 2026. Early 2027 will see a physical release of the Britten Cello Symphony coupled with the earlier recording of the Bliss Cello Concerto with the RLPO on Onyx Classics. Also to be released in 2027 are recordings of Walton’s Cello Concerto and Barber’s Cello Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

The 2025-2026 season coincides with Johnston’s returns to the Royal Academy of Music as a Professor of Cello. This role will see him offer bespoke tuition to cello students throughout the year. Johnston started out as a professor at the Academy in 2011, later becoming visiting professor. The appointment follows Johnston’s recent relocation back to the UK following his tenure at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, from 2018 to 2024.

Friday 16th January, 07.30pm

Barbican, London

Tchaikovsky Fantasy-Overture, ‘Hamlet’

Joseph Phibbs Cello Concerto

Mel Bonis Ophélie

Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite

Published post no.2,755 – Sunday 21 December 2025

In concert – Lukas Sternath, BBC Singers, Symphony Chorus & Orchestra / Sakari Oramo @ BBC Proms: Bliss ‘The Beatitudes’, Grieg & Gipps

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Lukas Sternath (piano), Elizabeth Watts (soprano), Laurence Kilsby (tenor), BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sakari Oramo

Gipps Death on the Pale Horse Op.25 (1943) [Proms premiere]
Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor Op.16 (1868 rev.1907)
Bliss The Beatitudes F28 (1961)

Royal Albert Hall, London
Sunday 7 September 2025

Reviewed by Richard Whitehouse Photos (c) BBC / Chris Christodoulou

This evening’s Prom – launching the final week of the present season – was billed as ‘Grieg’s Piano Concerto’, no doubt the reason why many in the audience were attending while hardly being the most interesting aspect of a typically adventurous programme from Sakari Oramo.

In the event the Grieg received a responsive reading from Lukas Sternath (below, with Oramo), the Viennese pianist who, still in his mid-20s, was most at home in more inward passages. The second theme of the initial Allegro was enticingly taken up after a heartfelt rendering by cellos, as was the Adagio’s eloquent melody and that first emerging in the finale on flute, where it was soulfully rendered by Daniel Pailthorpe. Nor were the more demonstrative aspects underplayed – Sternath having the measure of a cadenza whose mounting rhetoric was pointedly reined-in, while the finale’s outer sections were incisively inflected prior to an apotheosis which felt the more exhilarating through its absence of bathos. A melting take on Richard Strauss’ early song Morgen!, transcribed with enviable poise by Max Reger, served to reinforce Sternath’s formidable pianistic credentials.

The 50th anniversary year of Sir Arthur Bliss’s death has seen a gratifying number of revivals, few more significant than that of The Beatitudes. The misfortune of its premiere having been moved from Coventry’s new Cathedral to its Belgrade Theatre, thus freeing up rehearsal time for Britten’s War Requiem, rather condemned it as an also-ran from the outset. Yet Bliss had created a piece unerringly suited for the consecration in what, in itself, remains an impressive conception. Unfolding as 14 short sections which can be grouped into six larger movements, this is less a cantata than a choral symphony. Setting all nine Beatitudes, Bliss none the less merged several of these and interspersed them with settings from three 17th-century and one 20th-century ‘metaphysical’ poets to commemorate the past from the vantage of the present.

The texts, drawn from Henry Vaughan, George Herbert and Jeremy Taylor, anticipate a future redemption – as, more ambivalently, does Dylan Thomas in And death shall have dominion which builds implacably to the climactic Ninth Beatitude and Voices of the Mob prior to the hard-won serenity of the Epilogue. That The Beatitudes has enjoyed relatively few revivals is less to do with its intrinsic quality than the demands of its choral writing, to which the BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC Singers did notable justice. Elizabeth Watts responded with real sensitivity and perception to some radiant soprano writing and while Laurence Kilsby was a little effortful in the more demonstrative passages, he brought conviction to a tenor role both fervent and compassionate. Nor did Richard Pearce disappoint with his extensive organ part.

Oramo paced the 50-minute entity superbly as to make one hope he will tackle more works by Bliss – not least the masterly Meditations on a Theme by John Blow, which has inexplicably fallen through the net this year. He had started tonight’s concert with a most welcome revival for Death on the Pale Horse – the succinctly eventful tone poem by Ruth Gipps which, while it might not capture the visceral drama of Blake’s eponymous engraving, distils an evocative atmosphere from pithy initial ideas that audibly reflects the circumstances of its composition.

Click on the artist names to read more about soloists Elizabeth Watts, Laurence Kilsby and Lukas Sternath, the BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC Symphony Orchestra, and their conductor Sakari Oramo. You can also click to read more about composers Arthur Bliss, Ruth Gipps and the BBC Proms

Published post no.2,652 – Tuesday 9 September 2025