Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Strauss' Ein Heldenleben at the Royal Festival Hall

‘Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben was a glorious success, played with verve and commitment... Sinaisky made it seem less verbose and portentous than can be the case...this Hero arrived on a dashing white charger rather than being festooned and weighed-down by medals; the ‘critics’ were less viperous than usual (only fair!); and the Hero’s companion (Pauline) was tenderly introduced, guest leader Andrew Haveron quite outstanding in his vivid portrayal of Frau Strauss (beautifully played, too) – seductive, feisty and capricious; and, come the ‘sunset’ epilogue, his entwining with Chris Parkes’s horn solo was a perfect marriage.’

‘If the ‘Battle’ was here scaled down somewhat, there was a compensatory revealing and placing of detail, and the quotations from Strauss’s earlier works were beguilingly touched-in. Equally memorable were the RPO’s strings in full bloom. To cap an absorbing and vernal performance, Sinaisky ensured that just about every member of the orchestra took a bow and, when the full band was upright, he simply left the platform for the musicians to take the applause. A real team-effort.’

All-Elgar programme with Leonard Slatkin and Steven Isserlis

‘What could not be faulted, however, was the quality of the orchestral backdrop, Slatkin and the orchestra scaling down dynamics and dovetailing beautifully with their soloist and with much wind detail emerging unforced in the texture.’

‘The First Symphony was undoubtedly the evening’s highpoint...Slatkin’s traversal, at once red-blooded and affectionate, rekindled the visceral thrill one first felt on hearing this miraculous score...best of all were the central movements, the hectic scherzo was taken for once at a true Allegro molto with genuine fire in its belly, and seldom has the trio sounded more delicately evocative...when the coda was finally unleashed, brass haloed by strings, it achieved its full impact, and the final stringendo was quite simply thrilling.’

‘This ongoing RPO series of English music is billed as “Green and Pleasant Land” – judging from the full-house and appreciative response for Slatkin’s concert, the RPO is onto a winner.’

Rozhdestvensky conducts at Sheffield City Hall

‘Russian conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky remains as idiosyncratic as ever in his 77th year, grand master of all he surveys and an uncanny knack of letting music speak for itself...the RPO's playing was mature and masterly.’

Elgar's Sea Songs conducted by Sir Andrew Davis

'Mellifluously briny in the Elgar, the Royal Philharmonic showered eloquence and punch on this chameleon score; the woodwinds shone especially.'

Robert Cohen plays the Finzi Cello Concerto at Cadogan Hall

'The cello concerto that Gerald Finzi completed in 1955 is one of those Cinderella works that only rarely gets the chance of a night out. But this performance by Robert Cohen in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s all-English programme made up for the work’s comparative neglect…strong emotions are at work in this music. Cohen, the RPO and conductor Paul Daniel expressed them forcefully, allowing the passion full rein and cosseting the more tender, calmer moments of the central andante.’