Strauss’s Voice – Manchester Evening News
Posted on February 22, 2014
Heroes and Tyrants Ruby Hughes
Saturday 22 February
The Bridgewater Hall
Manchester Camerata brought us back to Strauss on Saturday night, with three songs (Das Bächlein, Meinem Kinde and Mein Auge) at the start, sung with imaginatively varied emphasis and tone colour by Ruby Hughes.
Then it was Mozart – the C major piano concerto K503, with Paul Lewis the coolly eloquent soloist, bringing a big cadenza to the first movement and great fun to the last – and Beethoven, in the shape of the ‘Eroica’ symphony. Conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy gave many individual touches to that, and the Camerata found a touch of gypsy fire in the minor variation of the finale.
Afterwards came the most magical performance of the night: Strauss’s Metamorphosen for 23 strings, played in near-darkness and with intensity and passion. Takács-Nagy is at his best with chamber music textures, and built it to an enthralling climax.
Manchester Evening News – Strauss’s Voice, Reviewer – Robert Beale