Interact & Reviews / Reviews

Carlo Moschetta
It was a very uplifting experience. The conductor was, at times, a little too vigorous in his movements. However, Beethoven 9th was, without doubt, well executed. Testimony to that was over 10 minutes applause. The BBC Philarmonic Orchestra performed really well, but it was the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus who shifted the whole concert up into heaven.

In the first half of the concert Noseda conducted with his hands. The orchestra was all over the place in the Wagner and just did not seem to be connecting with his beat. Interestingly, he then conducted the 9th with a baton (maybe he realised he had made a serious error? Stokowski and Boulez could/can pull off the no-baton trick but it didn't work last night). However, with the baton in the 9th the orchestra perhaps fared even worse, they were in serious danger of falling apart completely, just not together in the Scherzo, and the third movement sounded as though panic had set in the ranks. There was scarcely any room to breathe so tense was the performance, not really what you would expect in a beautiful Beethoven slow movement. The finale was a bit better, particularly the chorus (sans music) were superb, but the soloists perhaps should consider altenative careers. The end was a relief in as much as the whole thing had been got through without falling apart completely. Of course the Prommers loved it anyway!

Chris Onof
The concert last night started in the misty heavens with the prelude to Parsifal, and ended in the clear skies of the Ode to Joy, travelling through smome pretty murky waters with Penderecki's strained string sounds. I thought the BBC Phil a little tentative at the start, but nevertheless, the Parsifal prelude came together nicely. Beethoven's Ninth is a great piece in which to watch Noseda in action. His very physical style of conducting emphasises the rhythmic aspect of Beethoven's music. He was nearly dancing on the rostrum in the second movement, and this obviously inspired the orchestra. Three cheers for the Birmingham Symphony Chorus whose articulation of the words was very clear. This concert certainly confirmed Noseda as a great Beethoven conductor.

Duncan
I was sitting in the stalls. "For the Victims of Hiroshima" was so moving, though I did not know why until it had finished. Beethoven No.9 was a tad fast for me, but worked very well all the same.