Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin), Ben Gernon (conductor)

Two well-known symphonies, staples of the repertoire, pose an acid test for any orchestra. The BPO, energized by a charismatic young conductor, made Mozart’s Haffner and Beethoven’s 7th sound fresh, exciting and animated. Gernon brought out detailed dialogues between the instruments that recordings just cannot capture. The strings have never sound better.

Now Mozart’s restrained ‘Turkish’ Violin Concerto K219, while not so familiar, is memorable for the percussive strings and a relentless rondo theme. Waley-Cohen’s distinctive timbre, poise and stylistic reserve did Mozart full justice. Her moment, however, came with her encore, Kreisler’s astonishing ‘Recitativo und Scherzo-Caprice’, a virtuoso extravaganza!

Dome Concert Hall, 2 December 2018
Rating:
Andrew Connal