Mozart, Schumann, Warlock & Beethoven, Worthing Symphony Orchestra, Jessica Zhu (piano)

It’s well worth the trip from Brighton to hear this excellent orchestra. The acoustic of the Assembly Hall, even when full, delivers every note clearly and the balance with soloists is much better than in many metropolitan concert halls.

Conductor John Gibbons’ well-considered introduction to Mozart’s ‘Haffner’ symphony and the gossip about Warlock drew his audience into the music quite as much as the straightforward interpretation. This was main-stream repertoire beautifully played. Particular delight came from Jessica Zhu’s dialogue with the woodwind in the Schumann concerto, the strings’ tight ensemble in Warlock’s ‘Capriol Suite’ and all of Beethoven’s Second Symphony!

Worthing Assembly Hall, 7 October 2012

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