September 18th: Northern Sinfonia conducted by Mario Venzago, with Baiba Skride (violin and Sol Gabetta (cello),
Why a concert of this quality isn't reviewed in the national press, I can't imagine: I suppose it is just provincialism, and had it been in, say, the Barbican it would have received the attention it deserved.
Venzago is a conductor who clearly relishes working with the Northern Sinfonia: his enthusiasm showed in both body language and in his music.
The concert opened with an interesting account of Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, with one or two passages played at a slower tempo than is usual, to great effect.
Sibelius' Lemminkainen suite is not played too often except for the well-known 'Swan of Tuonela' movement and the tedium of the first movement is perhaps why!
After the interval, we were treated to Haydn's symphony 94 (the Surprise), the kind of precise, almost witty account we have come to expect from this splendid orchestra, and there was a lovely bit of interplay between Bradley Creswick and his co-leader when playing a short solo passage.
We ended with Brahms' amazing concerto for violin, cello and orchestra, a piece which is played much too infrequently and deserves wider hearing.
The soloists, both young women in their 20s in identical striking red dresses, gave us all the clarity and passion of youth. The audience were most appreciative, and rightly so: I would go out of my way to hear these musicians again - though I would love to give the cellist a decent meal, so skinny did she look!