new bristol sinfonia

Concert Review

Published in the Bristol Evening Post, 13th March 2006

AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME WELL PLAYED

New Bristol Sinfonia, Victoria Rooms.

The New Bristol Sinfonia are renowned for offering unusual programmes, playing works that other more established orchestras avoid. On Saturday this was a case in point.

Kabalevsky's Colas Breugnom Overture is an exuberant piece which was effectively played.

Dvorak's Cello Concerto was the well known item in the concert. The music is richly inventive, and full of deep emotion. The young soloist Guy Johnston showed all the qualities that were needed to bring out the different feelings expressed by the composer. His was a performance that was bursting with energy and fresh ideas and the pathos of the slow movement was most affecting.

Neilsen's symphonies are always a challenge to any professional orchestra but the amateurs of the Sinfonia showed no qualms in their interpretation of the fourth, known as The Inextinguishable, which is a four-movement work played without a break. Large forces are needed and the orchestra of more than 70 players acquitted themselves in an exciting performance.

The string section was particularly outstanding with their richness of tone. The finale, with its exhilarating dialogue between the two timpanists, came off splendidly.

Conductor James Lowe kept the whole proceedings fully under control with some superb direction and is to be congratulated on his ambitious choice.

* * * *

JOHN PACKWOOD

Concert was held on Saturday 11th March 2006 - archived information can be viewed here.