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Jean Sibelius

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Philharmonia/Salonen, Festival Hall - review

26.09.11
The less said about Viktoria Mullova's performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto the better. Concertos are traditionally arenas of heroic struggle but this was a losing battle... more

Philadelphia Orchestra / Dutoit - review

09.09.11
The lushness of the strings, the liquid beauty of the winds and mellow brass combine to produce a uniquely expressive sound from the Philadelphia Orchestra... more

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra/Oramo - review

09.08.11
It's no surprise that the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic brought an all-Nordic programme to the Proms, but no Swedish composer? Presumably no Swedish composer offers the guaranteed box-office of Sibelius (Finnish), Grieg (Norwegian) and Nielsen... more

Hallé / Mark Elder, Royal Albert Hall - review

22.07.11
Elder ensured that the calmer, more nuanced passages were given their due but the blaze of brass at the conclusion was visceral, thrilling and undeniably virile... more

Sequence of moods with Vladimir Ashkenazy

22.10.10
A blast of Northern air swept through the Festival Hall at Vladimir Ashkenazy's concert, but did it chill the soul? Not a bit of it... more

Crispness from the Philharmonia

01.10.10
Finnish repertoire interpreted by a percipient Finnish conductor. An enticing prospect, even if the opener was that old warhorse Sibelius’s Finlandia... more

Proms 2010: Tradition wins the day

27.08.10
The BBC Symphony Orchestra under David Robertson screamed, rattled and rolled through Mark-Anthony Turnage's Hammered Out... more

Danish touches of class at the Proms

12.08.10
The Danish National Symphony Orchestra bypassed Carl Nielsen, the obvious choice, opting instead for Rued Langgaard’s Music of the Spheres... more

An outdoor experience with The Tempest

15.06.10
Mick Gordon’s outdoor production of The Tempest is a stripped-down, spirited interpretation that runs for not much more than an hour and a half... more

Shades of sibelius from John Adams

08.03.10
John Adams has shown a willingness to conduct music by other composers but he’s careful about what he takes on.... more

New York Philharmonic is stuck in the comfort zone

04.02.10
The New York Philharmonic gave the first of a pair of concerts under its new music director, Alan Gilbert.... more

Osmo Vänskä's stunning tribute to the mightiest finn

28.01.10
Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä launched a four-concert cycle of the symphonies with the LPO.... more

Herbides Ensmeble takes no prisoners

26.06.09
The Hebrides Ensemble played as if it was a matter of life and death.... more

Maazel shows his magic touch

03.04.09
If a little dramatic character went missing, the closing funeral march had a real feeling of grief barely choked back in Maazel's show.... more

Segerstam conducts in commendable style

09.01.09
The London Schools Symphony Orchestra delivers a performance of the highest calibre.... more

Drawn to Toradze's vision

16.10.08
Toradze's performance of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto with the LPO injected new life into what too often sounds like a knackered warhorse. ... more

Compelled to listen to Jugendorchester

02.09.08
The Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester won over a spellbound Albert Hall through sheer vitality, panache and brilliance.... more

Emperor loses some grandeur

01.02.08
In constantly pushing on in pursuit of a more dynamic approach, Kirill Karabits sacrificed the opulence the Emperor Concerto surely demands.... more

Fine Finnish band

06.12.07
While the Tampere Philharmonic may not be a Premier League orchestra, it's a fine band that suited Jennifer Pike's assured reading.... more

Ice, great rivers and the hand of man

02.11.07
Last night's account of Sibelius was characterised by taut rhythmic control and driving momentum.... more

Double dose of brilliance

30.08.07
Both Mariss Jansons and Oliver Knussen put in five-star performances at the Albert Hall.... more

Fresh Norwegian debut

17.08.07
Under the expert guidance of music director Andrew Litton, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra made its Prom debut playing Grieg last night.... more

Rare Sibelius gets overdue airing

16.08.07
The seven symphonies of Sibelius are firm fixtures at the Proms and this year were performed by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra under Osmo Vanska.... more

A jittery and fast late-night Prom

01.08.07
Ivan Volkov enjoyed an enterprising programme with the BBC Singers, while the late night Prom from London Sinfonietta was a dazzling affair.... more

Proms takes inspiration from Hurricane Katrina

26.04.07
The BBC Proms will tackle the subject of global warming with a musical drama inspired by the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.... more

Lessons by a virtuoso

20.02.07
A large, young crowd was at Wigmore Hall for an object lesson in how to make the viola sing.... more

A brisk canter on a venerable warhorse

09.02.07
This Philharmonia programme desperately needed either a charismatic conductor or a revelatory soloist for the Grieg. It had neither, says Barry Millington. ... more

In search of Mozart's inner peace

29.08.06
Phillippe Herreweghe steered the Orchestre des Champs Elysées down an alternative path at its Proms performance of Mozart's Requiem, and the less intense approach proved successful.... more

Critic's Choice: Top Five Classical Events

24.08.06
Barry Millington's pick of the weekend's top classical events includes some Mozart at Greenwich park and the Minnesota Orchestra at the Proms with phenomenal pianist Llyr Williams...... more

The masters of elegy

15.08.06
A mood of elegy spun its web over the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra's Prom. But two masterworks from Strauss and Bartók weren't quite delivered with the precision and colour required.... more


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