Tag Archives: Mahler

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Birmingham Mahler Cycle: Sir Simon Rattle Conducts Das Lied von der Erde

Sunday 12 June 2011 at 7.00pm

Symphony Hall, Birmingham +44 (0)121-780 3333

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra 

Sir Simon Rattle conductor
Jane Irwin mezzo-soprano
Michael Schade tenor

Messiaen: Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum 26′
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (sung in German with English surtitles) 59′

Twenty years to the day since Sir Simon Rattle and the CBSO inaugurated Birmingham’s brand new Symphony Hall, the legend returns. Sir Simon, mezzo Magdalena Kožená and tenor Michael Schade bring down the curtain on Birmingham’s centenary Mahler Cycle with the symphony that Mahler refused to call his Ninth, the heart-rending Das Lied von der Erde. Less a meditation on death, more a rapturous love-letter to the joys of life, Mahler simply doesn’t get more personal – or more beautiful. The evening opens with a very different (but no less transcendent) meditation on mortality, by another composer who came to define Sir Simon’s years at Symphony Hall: the late Olivier Messiaen. Unmissable.

Please note that Magdalena Kožená has withdrawn from this performance due to illness. We are grateful to Jane Irwin, who replaces her at short notice.

 Sold out – Returns only

Review by Stephen Walsh, TheArtsDesk:

http://www.theartsdesk.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3888:das-lied-von-der-erde-cbso-rattle-birmingham-classical-review&Itemid=24

…     “The CBSO were on terrific form throughout, but nowhere more than in the lovely wind solos that track the mezzo-soprano, from the blue autumn mists of “Der Einsame im Herbst” to the eternal blue distance of “Der Abschied”. And Jane Irwin, standing in at short notice for the indisposed Magdalena Kožená, matched them in the sensitivity of her response to words and situation, though she had some difficulty filling out her sound in the low registers.”     …

Review by Andrew Clements, Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jun/13/cbso-rattle-review

…     “Words and phrases were coloured with great precision, and, like the orchestra’s solo woodwind, Irwin relished the freedom that Rattle’s expansive conducting allowed her. Even in the final Abschied, nothing sounded too slow or indulgent, just naturally paced, with little of the expressive moulding that can seem rather mannered in some of Rattle’s Berlin performances. Michael Schade also showed he is one of that select band of tenors who can tackle this work without being totally overwhelmed by the orchestra.”     …

Blog post review by Norman Lebrecht, ArtsJournal:

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2011/06/and-now-for-last-nights-cancellation/

…     “But Jane Irwin is a singer of immense character and daring who dropped on occasion to pianissimo, drawing feather-light sounds from the orchestral soloists, outstanding among them the flute (Marie-Christine Zupancic), piccolo (Andrew Lane), bassoon (Gretha Tuls) and leader (Zoe Beyers).

 The Abschied achieved a stark cohesion. Rattle played down the agonies of parting with a practised flutter of bucolic beauty spots.”     …
 
 
Review by John Quinn, SeenAndHeard:
…     “This was a magnificent performance, which Rattle controlled superbly and with great authority. I thought his judgement of pacing was ideal and, amid all the frequent tumult, his control of silent pauses – and the way he ensured the softest passages in Messiaen’s score made their mark – was masterly.”     […]
 
[…] “Nowhere was this more apparent than in her account of ‘Der Abschied.’ This is a huge challenge for a singer but one to which Jane Irwin rose marvellously. She encompassed all aspects of the song successfully. I admired her sensitivity and sense of intimacy at such passages as ‘Ich suche Ruhe für mein einsam Herz’. Just as impressive was the radiant outpouring at ‘Die liebe Erde allüberall…’, a moment superbly prepared by Rattle, and Miss Irwin’s ardour at ‘O Schönheit! O ewigen Liebens…’ This was a memorable, dignified and moving performance.” […]
 
[…] “He drew from the CBSO playing of great distinction and there was a familiarity, engagement and empathy that made it seem as if he’d never been away. At the end of the work, Rattle drew out the last tendrils of music with the greatest possible refinement. When the last sound died away the silence was as long as I’ve ever heard in a concert hall, Rattle holding the moment and the audience reluctant to break the spell. The silence spoke volumes.I’ve been lucky enough to attend several very fine Mahler performances over the last year of so – not all of them in Birmingham – but this was in a different league.”      …
 
 
Review by Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post:

…     “Das Lied just stunned an overflowing audience into silence. There was a whole gamut of orchestral gesture here (one wouldn’t expect anything less from a composer who was probably the world’s greatest-ever conductor), all teased out by Rattle and the willing CBSO; horns, desolate flute and questing oboe line up for particular praise.”     …

 

Blog post review by Tam Pollard re same programme but at Aldeburgh Festival:

http://www.wheresrunnicles.com/2011/06/rattle-and-cbso-open-2011-aldeburgh.html

…     “Here was yet more evidence of just what an exception and world class ensemble the CBSO are: from the rich string textures, to quiet playing of the highest calibre, to fabulous solo performances, it was both an orchestral masterclass and an absolute treat to witness. ”     …

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The Birmingham Mahler Cycle: Symphony No 2

Wednesday 18 May 2011 at 7.30pm

Symphony Hall, Birmingham +44 (0)121-780 3333

 City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Kazushi Ono conductor
Jane Irwin soprano
Renata Pokupic mezzo
CBSO Chorus

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) 80′

We regret to announce that Sakari Oramo has had to withdraw from our performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony on Wednesday 18 May, as he is unwell. We are very grateful to Kazushi Ono, who has kindly agreed to replace him at very short notice. The orchestra, choruses and soloists remain as advertised and we look forward to the concert, as one of the highlights of Birmingham’s Mahler Cycle.

Gustav Mahler may have believed that a symphony “should be like the world”, but his Second Symphony goes further – and takes you to the end of the world itself! It’s more like a blockbuster movie than a classical symphony, with an ending that’ll leave you choked with emotion. Heartrending personal tragedy, dances of death, and a roof-raising musical depiction of the Day of Judgment itself: they’re all there, scored for a colossal orchestra. This instalment of the Birmingham Mahler Cycle – 100 years to the day since Gustav Mahler died in Vienna – should be an occasion to remember. www.cbso.co.uk

Review by David Nice, ArtsDesk:

http://www.theartsdesk.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3719:mahlers-resurrection-symphony-cbso-ono-birmingham-symphony-hall&Itemid=27

…     “This listener’s hairs stood on end not just from the wild yet precise upsurge of cellos and basses but also – uniquely – thanks to the stomach-flipping pregnant pauses in between. Yet the lyricism was soon allowed to soar and billow within tightly controlled parameters.   […]

[…]     No reservations at all, though, about the extraordinary CBSO chorus. Of course, there’s nothing quite like vast forces singing pianissimo at the crucial moment of salvation, nirvana, call it what you well, when Mahler decides at last there’s no threat from the old wives’ tale of judgment day. But it’s hard to credit a non-professional choir with the half-lights conjured in the men’s meditation and the sudden burst of “Bereite dich!” (“Prepare yourselves!”): non-trained tenors can’t normally give this much tone, but these ones did, thanks to Simon Halsey’s training and countless previous CBSO Resurrections under Rattle, Nelsons, Oramo – all of them playing a part in this season’s Mahler cycle – and others.”     …

Review by Andy Richardson, Shropshire Star:

http://www.shropshirestar.com/entertainment/2011/05/19/mahlers-mind-blowing-majesty-at-cbso/

…     “That finale, featuring a section that Mahler referred to as ‘the march of the dead’ was stunning. An explosion of drums, brass and strings was underpinned by the dramatic massed voices of a choir in full song. By the end of the piece, the audience had felt the full force of Mahler’s improbably ambitious creative vision.

The CBSO showed their virtuosity and Ono proved himself a true master. It made for a spectacular evening’s entertainment.”

Review by John Quinn, MusicWeb, SeenandHeard:

http://www.seenandheard-international.com/2011/05/20/a-triumphant-resurrection-in-birmingham/

…     “The twin long percussion crescendi were delivered with stunning impact, typifying the magnificent response of the CBSO. Throughout the evening their playing, both individual and collective, was absolutely superb but in this finale they excelled themselves, delivering playing that was as sonorous as could be wished and yet razor-sharp in attack. Ono directed proceedings with immense drive and energy, yet not in an ostentatious fashion. Eventually he unleashed a stupendous climax, which seemed to depict the very opening of the Gates of Hell, after which the music was allowed to sink down as though exhausted, paving the way for the grosse Appell.”     …

Review by Norman Stinchcombe, Birmingham Post:

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2011/05/27/review-mahler-s-resurrection-symphony-cbso-at-symphony-hall-65233-28762749/

…     “Somewhere in the world there may be choruses which can match them in this symphony but, if so, they could be counted on the fingers of one digitally-challenged hand. The orchestra in full cry, horns with bells up, brass blazing was itself an exciting spectacle.”     …

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Jac van Steen Conducts Mahler 6

Tuesday 29 March 2011 at 7.30pm

Symphony Hall, Birmingham +44 (0)121-780 3333

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Jac van Steen  conductor

Mahler: Symphony No 6 85′

Art imitates life – it isn’t meant to happen the other way round. Mahler
imagined his mighty Sixth Symphony as an epic musical tragedy, in
which a hero is destroyed by three devastating blows of fate. And
then…he lost his job, was diagnosed with heart disease, and lost his
five-year old daughter. Coincidence? Mahler didn’t think so. And you can
tell why; he’d filled every bar of this immense symphony with his most
heartfelt and intimate emotions. It’s a musical experience like no other, a
symphony that leaves no listener unmoved – and it absolutely has to be
heard live. In the hands of master-Mahlerian Jac van Steen be ready to
be astonished, to be moved, and to be shaken to the very depths of
your being.
www.cbso.co.uk

Review by Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post:

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2011/04/01/review-mahler-symphony-no-6-cbso-at-symphony-hall-65233-28429111/

…     “The orchestra played out of its socks for this conductor so attuned to the Mahlerian idiom, drawing crisp martial rhythms, full-throated lyricism (what a wonderful “Alma-theme” from the strings), defiant woodwind interjections, uneasy brass, now affirmative, now questing, and percussion-playing both colourfully evocative and menacingly implacable – fabulous timpani unisons from Peter Hill and Cliff Pick on the famous motto-rhythm which drives the hero into oblivion.”

Rating * * * * *

Review by John Quinn, MusicWeb:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2011/Jan-Jun11/mahler2903.htm

…   “The playing of the CBSO was impressively sonorous and incisive. Even this early in the symphony’s epic journey there were some excellent solo contributions to admire, not least from leader Zoë Beyers and principal horn Elspeth Dutch – these proved to be a foretaste of consistently good solo work across the orchestra throughout the performance.  […]

[…]   This was a very fine performance indeed. Jac van Steen’s conception of Mahler’s Sixth was a gripping one and it was marvellously realised by the CBSO, which was on trenchant form. This was surely one of the peaks in Birmingham’s excellent Mahler cycle.”


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Gergiev Conducts Mahler 7

Gergiev Conducts Mahler 7

Birmingham International Concert Season 2010/11

Fri 25 Mar 7:30pm at Symphony Hall

London Symphony Orchestra
Valery Gergiev conductor

Mahler Symphony No 7    78’

The combination of Valery Gergiev, the London Symphony Orchestra and Mahler have wowed audiences and had critics reaching for superlatives. ‘Raw energy and white hot climaxes’ is how The Guardian described their revelatory performances. Tonight Gergiev turns his attention to the Seventh Symphony: an epic journey from darkness to overwhelming joyous affirmation, taking in two eerie and fantastical night-music movements along the way.

6.15pm Pre-concert talk. Composer John Joubert discusses the music of Mahler with Lyndon Jenkins

Part of The Birmingham Mahler Cycle

Review by Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post:

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2011/04/01/review-mahler-symphony-no-7-london-symphony-orchestra-at-symphony-hall-65233-28429079/

…   “Despite its vast orchestral demands, this is a chamber music-textured composition, and its demanding solo contributions were beautifully delivered, not least by the violin and viola principals.

Balances were instinctively judged, as were tempi. Gergiev wrought magic here.”

Rating * * * * *

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Pappano Conducts Mahler 1

Birmingham International Concert Season 2010/11

Sat 19 Mar 7:30pm at Symphony Hall

Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome
Antonio Pappano conductor
Boris Berezovsky piano

Verdi Aida Sinfonia 12’
Liszt Piano Concerto No 1 20’
Mahler Symphony No 1 53’

Finmeccanica is the main sponsor of Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome.

Encores – Berezovsky with orchestra – Liszt Piano Concerto No 1 finale

Orchestra – Rossini, Puccini,

One of Italy’s most celebrated orchestras contributes the First Symphony to Birmingham’s Mahler Cycle under the inspiring baton of its Music Director Antonio Pappano (also renowned as Music Director of the Royal Opera House). Joyous and optimistic, opening with an evocation of dawn, it closes with a roof-raising finale. And, to open the concert, there is a rarity: the orchestral Sinfonia that Verdi made from his ever-popular Aida – music that is in the very blood of these players.

BBC Music magazine’s Editor, Oliver Condy, explains why he has recommended tonight’s concert:
“Who better than the fiercely talented Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia to tease the sunshine out of these exciting masterpieces? And who better, too, to bring the passion to Liszt’s mighty First Piano Concerto than the fiery Russian virtuoso Boris Berezovsky?”

‘Anyone who still believes that the words “Italian orchestra” and “technical precision” do not belong in the same sentence should have heard the performance of Guillaume Tell. Santa Cecilia Orchestra is fleet and wonderfully together, with crunch, buoyancy, a keen sense of collective phrasing and its own very distinctive sound.’ Financial Times

Review by Norman Stinchcombe, Birmingham Post:

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2011/03/25/review-orchestra-of-the-accademia-nazionale-di-santa-cecilia-at-symphony-hall-65233-28382357/

“There was much to admire in this Italian orchestra’s performance of Mahler’s First Symphony, especially the final blazing peroration.

The horns and brass section stood up to play the thunderous final bars: not as a piece of crude showmanship to get the audience cheering, although it succeeded in doing that, but in strict adherence to the composer’s wishes.

It was an indication of conductor Antonio Pappano’s unfailing attention to detail.

He ensured that we heard genuine pianissimos and triple fortes.”   …..

Review by Christopher Thomas, MusicWeb:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2011/Jan-Jun11/pappano1903.htm

…   “It’s a quote that could equally be applied to Anglo-Italian Antonio Pappano, whose magnificently colourful account of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in the second half of this concert drew an inspired response from the orchestra and brought a proportion of the audience to its feet in Symphony Hall.
  Pappano’s mere presence in front of the orchestra seemed to ignite its Italian passion, drawing a sound that was uniquely theirs as its bloom and hues of burnished gold called to mind the Roman sun that has been an ever present part of the orchestra’s existence since its inception in 1885.    […]

[…] Berezovsky plays with an almost complete absence of gestural histrionics, his body rarely moving as he powered his way with magnificent weight and purpose through the outer movements. Yet as a result the stark contrast of the Quasi Adagio proved to be all the more impressive, with the pianist’s sensitivity and nuance of colour and shade marking his playing out as a shining example of textural control and contrast.

Pappano’s “Titan” cleansed the soul like a breath of fresh alpine air; invigorating, bitter-sweet, joyous and ultimately life affirming, the beauty of the sound Pappano drew from his forces was a thing of wonder, directed with understated yet always compelling gestures in the third movement and clear, intensely focused precision and communicative clarity in the stormy Finale. ”   …

 Review for same programme, different venue, by Edward Seckerson, Independent:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/orchestra-of-the-academia-nazionale-di-santa-cecilia-pappano-anvil-basingstoke-2245701.html

…   “Those strings sang the second subject of the finale like a bel canto aria and I liked Pappano’s volatile way with the big tempo contrasts. It was bold, big-hearted, a little rash, thoroughly Mahlerian.”

Review for same programme, different venue, by Colin Anderson, ClassicalSource:

http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=9034

…   “Thus the dawning and distance (trumpets ideally far-away) that breathes Mahler 1 into life were palpably atmospheric, the listener drawn in to a performance that was deliciously buoyant, delicately traced, shimmering, unforced in climaxes (but with no lack of heft) and earthy, bucolic and macabre as required – full marks for having a solo double bass at the beginning of the third movement (the use of tutti basses, a fairly recent Mahlerian tweak, now discredited). The finale erupted as it should, but was always generated from within, the slower music then teased by Pappano and played ravishingly by the strings (violins ideally antiphonal), but no mere interludes.”   …

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Birmingham Mahler Cycle: Sakari Oramo conducts Symphony No. 10

Wednesday 23 February 2011 at 7.30pm

Symphony Hall, Birmingham +44 (0)121-780 3333

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Sakari Oramo  conductor

Mahler: Symphony No. 10 (completed by Deryck Cooke) 78′

When Gustav Mahler died in May 1911, he left his final symphony
tantalisingly unfinished. So Deryck Cooke’s completion of this mighty
score was one of the twentieth century’s great feats of artistic rescue.
On a musical par with raising the Titanic, it uncovered a lost
masterpiece of modern music – one that answers the question: after
the “farewell to life” of his Ninth, where could Mahler go next? The
Tenth is a spiritual odyssey, filled with puzzles and allusions; a work
where cries of love and cries of pain finally resolve in music of
shattering honesty and heartbreaking beauty. Former CBSO music
director Sakari Oramo makes an emotional return to guide us to the
heart of Mahler’s final musical testament. If you don’t know the Tenth,
you don’t know Mahler.

Review by Andrew Clements, Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/24/cbso-sakari-oramo-review

…  “The drama of this extraordinary work was laid out just as lucidly. The opening of the finale, with the serpentine emergence of the tuba abruptly cut short by the muffled strokes of the bass drum, was tinglingly dramatic, and if Oramo didn’t wring the maximum consolation out of the closing pages, he built towards them with unswerving certainty.”

Review by Geoff Read, MusicWeb:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2011/Jan-Jun11/mahler2302.htm

…  “In the opening Adagio, the violas used by Mahler to set the pace and mood of the movement produced an instant feeling of empathy for his predicament; the CBSO viola players were desolate and aching, well led as usual by Christopher Yates. Oramo alternately built and relaxed the intensity with an expert’s guiding touch. Although expected, when the nine-note dissonant chord came it still created a violent impact, a veritable stab in the heart. The music swept along, a superb example of Mahler’s ability to combine angst with beauty, seemingly without any hope of reconciliation.”  … 
 
 
Review by Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post:
… “During his tenure he did so much to develop the orchestra’s reputation as explorers of repertoire, whether standard or unusual, and he consolidated the finesse of the strings to an extent which persists today.

It was good, then, to welcome Oramo back in a work which relies so much upon the strings in their exposure and eloquence. […]

[…]  David Matthews’ lengthy programme-note was fascinatingly informative, and under Oramo’s persuasive and impassioned direction the performance itself never failed to grip. ”  …

Rating * * * * *

 

Review by Alice Young, Redbrick Student Paper:

 http://www.redbrickpaper.co.uk/?p=17219 

…  “The acoustics in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall lend themselves perfectly to the extraordinary complexities and detail of Mahler’s work. Everything in this symphony from the quiet pizzicato on the strings to the glorious sustained trumpet notes can be received with the exact balance and texture Mahler intended.”  …

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Birmingham Mahler Cycle: Kindertotenlieder

Thursday 10 February 2011 at 7.30pm

Symphony Hall, Birmingham +44 (0)121-780 3333

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Karl-Heinz Steffens  conductor
Christianne Stotijn  mezzo

Schubert: Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished) 22′
Mahler: Kindertotenlieder 23′
Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 38′

From the heart…to the heart. In Central Europe, the sweetest melody can express the darkest feelings, and tonight three supreme Central European masters take us on three unforgettable emotional journeys. Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ symphony overflows with glorious tunes, but it’s almost as powerful for what it leaves unsaid. Dvorák poured all his national pride into the greatest of all his symphonies – a masterpiece even finer than the ‘New World’. And Gustav Mahler came to terms with fatherhood with some of the most heartfelt songs he ever wrote. www.cbso.co.uk

The CBSO is sad to learn of the death of Sir Charles Mackerras, who was to have conducted this concert. The performance is dedicated to his memory.

Review by Geoff Read, MusicWeb-International:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2011/Jan-Jun11/cbso1002.htm

…”Any blame as to the shortcomings or otherwise of this Kindertotenlieder could not be laid at the CBSO or Steffens – their backing was exemplary throughout. […]

The two symphonic works from Steffens and the CBSO were quite different in their impact. While the ‘Unfinished’ was somewhat staid and mechanical, the Dvořák was stimulating and flamboyant. […]

The scratch team of Steffens and guest French leader Philippe Honoré had formed an instant bond with the CBSO; it was they who made the evening worthwhile.”

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Tuned In: Mahler Symphony No 9

Thursday 3 February 2011 at 7.30pm

Symphony Hall, Birmingham +44 (0)121-780 3333

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Andris Nelsons  conductor
Stephen Johnson  presenter

Mahler: Introduction to Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, with live orchestral examples 30”
Mahler: Symphony No. 9 87′ Listen
requires Real Player

Few symphonies tell a story as rich as that of Mahler’s Ninth. So join
presenter Stephen Johnson, conductor Andris Nelsons, and the full
CBSO, for the latest in the CBSO’s acclaimed Tuned In series of
concerts-with-a-difference. In the first half, Stephen (with a bit of help
from Andris Nelsons and the orchestra) uncovers the many layers of
Mahler’s last symphony – the hidden codes, the tricks of Mahler’s trade,
and the personal stories behind the notes. Then, after the interval,
there’s a full performance of the Symphony. Whether you’re a Mahler
first-timer, or you’ve known the Ninth for years, every performance of
this piece reveals something new. Tonight, we’ll help you find your own
way into the ultimate Romantic symphony.

Special prices apply: £20 all areas.

Review by John Quinn, MusicWeb:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2011/Jan-Jun11/mahler0302.htm

… “Nelsons and his superb orchestra brought out all the passion in the first movement. There was a great deal of ardour and commitment in the music making and the powerfully projected climaxes were distinguished by dramatic, biting playing. At times the music sounded hedonistic and truly abandoned, and surely that’s right. However, I must immediately record that the quieter passages – and there are many of them – in which Mahler’s orchestral textures are often very spare, were rendered with finesse. The last few pages were superbly controlled and Nelsons ensured that the spell remained unbroken for a good length of time after the music had ceased.” …

Review for Wednesday night’s performance, by Stephen Walsh, ArtsDesk:

http://www.theartsdesk.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3017:cbso-nelsons-symphony-hall-birmingham&Itemid=27

Review for Wednesday night’s performance, by Ivan Hewett, Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalmusic/8301544/City-of-Birmingham-Symphony-Orchestra-Nelsons-Symphony-Hall-Birmingham-review.html

…”Abetted by the super-sharp acoustic of Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, the orchestra made a thrillingly vivid sound – which was wonderful in the impassioned episode in the first movement.” …

Review for Wednesday night’s performance, by Andrew Clements, Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/03/csbo-nelsons-mahler-review

Review for Wednesday night’s performance, by Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post:

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2011/02/11/review-turnage-and-mahler-cbso-bcmg-at-symphony-hall-65233-28143128/

…”And no-one could possibly imagine the subsequent performance of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony was Nelsons’ first-ever. His grip over its huge paragraphs and almost hallucinatory shifts in expression revealed a total immersion in this valedictory masterpiece as he guided us so patiently to its fading conclusion…

It goes without saying that his CBSO players responded with sumptuous depth of tone and well-characterised incidentals.” …

Review for Wednesday night’s performance, by Fiona Maddocks, The Observer:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/06/lucrezia-borgia-cbso-nelsons-ibragimova-review?INTCMP=SRCH

…”Nelsons squeezed incisive, analytical zest out of each fresh idea with near frenzied intensity. No wonder he needed water as the orchestra retuned halfway through. If this, with its tendency towards heady extremes, is a young man’s high-octane Mahler – and it is, thrillingly – think how it will ripen. The CBSO strings, especially the second violins who launch the raucous ländler and carry the whispered final notes, deserve danger money.” …

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Jurowski Conducts Mahler 4

Birmingham International Concert Season 2010/11

Thu 2 Dec 7:30pm at Symphony Hall

London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Steven Osborne piano
Christine Schäfer soprano

Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 32’
Mahler Symphony No 4 54’

Few conductors have received the plaudits that have been awarded to Vladimir Jurowski, Chief Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Described as ‘the most creative force in London’s orchestral life’ (Financial Times), his concert contains Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, one of the composer’s most relaxed works – classical, song-like and culminating in a representation of a child’s view of heaven. Steven Osborne is the soloist in the gentle lyrical poetry of Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto. www.thsh.co.uk

6:15pm Pre-concert talk with Lyndon Jenkins and Vladimir Jurowski.

Part of The Birmingham Mahler Cycle 

Review by Geoff Read, MusicWebInternational:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2010/Jul-Dec10/lpo0212.htm

… “Jurowski wonderfully recreated Mahler’s marking of Restful in the third Poco adagio movement, the emotional heart of the symphony. The heart-rending strains from the orchestra recalled the vision that had motivated the composer – the carved image of the departed atop a tombstone, a child asleep in death. The ebb and flow of the strings was indeed poignant and distinctively Mahlerian. I thought the role of second violins here was crucial, admirably led by Clare Duckworth. But this was a real team effort: subtle changes in pace were expertly handled by Jurowski; the autumnal colours of the woodwind were vividly set against the lilting strings; the surge in anticipation that led to the climactic depiction of the opening of heaven’s gates was fabulous. After the exultations of the horn and timpani, the tranquil runs on the harp in the coda produced the ‘My Mahler’ moment of the evening (see THSH’s website www.mymahler.com).”   …
 

Review by Elmley De La Cour, Birmingham Post:

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2010/12/10/review-london-philharmonic-orchestra-at-symphony-hall-65233-27789838/

… “Soloist, Stephen Osborne gave an effectively understated performance of the delicate work, conjuring subtle tones of pinpoint clarity from the piano. Against this, the orchestra provided a superb backdrop of velvety strings and sensitive wind. […]

[…] Mahler’s symphony, however, presented a dilemma. The orchestra played extremely well, creating the symphony’s nostalgic and almost haunting character from the very opening. The first movement’s passages of pizzicato and col legno were also given a spatial twist with the double basses positioned behind the woodwind. Soprano Christine Schafer was excellent, too, […]   Rating * * * *    “

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The Birmingham Mahler Cycle: Andris Nelsons Conducts Symphony No 5

Tuesday 23 November 2010 at 7.30pm

Symphony Hall, Birmingham +44 (0)121-780 3333

 City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Andris Nelsons  conductor
Simon Halsey  conductor
CBSO Youth Chorus   
CBSO Children’s Chorus   

Weir: Storm 20′
Mahler: Symphony No. 5 72′

Every Mahler symphony tells a life-or-death story – but none does it
with more romance, more melody or more epic sweep than the Fifth.
Opening with a desolate trumpet call and ending with a joyous hymn of
triumph, it’s one of music’s great emotional odysseys, taking in
Viennese waltzes, funeral marches, and – above all – the famous
Adagietto, Mahler’s tender love song to his young wife. It’s probably
Mahler’s most popular symphony – so Andris Nelsons’s interpretation,
part of our year-long Birmingham Mahler Cycle, is sure to be a high
point of the season. But first, choose from two very different musical
palate-cleansers – Bach’s masterly double violin concerto, or Judith
Weir’s Shakespeare-inspired Storm, performed by the very choir and
conductor who premiered it back in 1997.

Review by Andrew Clements, Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/nov/24/cbso-nelsons-review?CMP=twt_fd

… ” -but once it settled down, the performance had perfect scale and perspective, with finely judged pianissimo playing from the CBSO strings in the Adagietto, and a firm sense of where the last movement was heading, and how the brass was going to lead it to that final, affirmative chorale.” …

Review by Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post:

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2010/11/26/review-cbso-mahler-at-symphony-hall-65233-27709574/

… “Tuesday’s account in Symphony Hall was a genuine progress from darkness (launched by Jonathan Holland’s imperiously funereal trumpet summons) to light, in a finale where all involved danced skittishly and exuberantly under Nelsons’ baton, which seems to disappear more and more, as this conductor more talented than he knows relaxes into his role as music director of one of the world’s greatest orchestras.” …

Rating * * * * *

Andris Nelsons takes the CBSO to his Latvia home…

Read More…

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2010/12/03/andris-nelsons-takes-the-cbso-to-his-latvia-home-65233-27751664/#ixzz179cyq3q5