9 October Concert Review / The Independent
Posted on October 19, 2009
Manchester Camerata, The Bridgewater Hall, Friday 9 October 2009
Manchester Camerata’s ongoing cycle of Beethoven symphonies with Douglas Boyd has been a revelation, fusing the sharp articulation of historically informed performance with richness of expression and warmth of legato. Last Friday’s performance of the Eighth, preceded by William Alwyn’s lovely Autumn Legend and Kurt Schwertsik’s Dada-ist Shrunken Symphony, was as cogent as it was bracing. Boyd has an extraordinary gift for narrative flow and startling details, and the madcap Allegro vivace had elegance, substance and verve. Brahms’s Piano Concerto No 1 sounded similarly well-prepared, though soloist Jonathan Biss was too busy to listen to the orchestra.
Reviewed by Anna Picard
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Click here to read this review on The Independent’s website.