Tag Archives: Brahms

Flamboyant Liszt, bold Brahms from Khatia Buniatishvili at the QEH

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Mark Pullinger

Khatia Buniatishvili **** Queen Elizabeth Hall, 9th May 2018 Khatia Buniatishvili was born to play Liszt. This is not news. Her Liszt is like a wild stallion, galloping furiously, nostrils flared, tossing its black mane impatiently. The easy virtuosity she brings … Continue reading →

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Period clarinet heaven from Lorenzo Coppola at Wigmore Hall

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Mark Pullinger

Lorenzo Coppola et al **** Wigmore Hall, 10th January 2018 The clarinet quintets by Mozart and Brahms make the perfect concert pairing. Both were late works inspired by friendships with great musicians – Anton Stadler in Mozart’s case, and Richard … Continue reading →

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Esther Yoo’s affectionate Tchaikovsky the highlight of a disappointing evening with the Philharmonia

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Philharmonia/ Karl-Heinz Steffens ** Royal Festival Hall, 2nd November 2017 Eduard Hanslick had a sharp tongue and an even sharper pen. The critic savagely dismissed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto as “music that stinks”, while his verdict on a two-piano play-through of … Continue reading →

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Rhine Journey: curious and boisterous Schumann with the OAE

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Mark Pullinger

Brahms/Schumann: Kopatchinskaja; OAE/Alsop *** Royal Festival Hall, 6th February 2016 Exaggerated claims were made for Robert Schumann’s Violin Concerto in recent weeks. It was his final orchestral work, composed shortly before he was admitted to an asylum. After his death, … Continue reading →

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Sunny beams from Dvořák and Brahms as Nézet-Séguin returns to London

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Mark Pullinger

Dvořák/Brahms: LPO/Nézet-Séguin **** Royal Festival Hall, 3rd February 2016 Dvořák’s Sixth cannot claim to plumb any tragic depths, nor Brahms’ Double Concerto any virtuosic heights. Instead, both works ooze warmth. Brahms’ concerto is suffused with a mellow glow, while Dvořák … Continue reading →

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