Friday 21 June 2024
Three works from the Viennese periods of Mozart and Beethoven given worthy presentations by the Flanders Symphony Orchestra and Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus. …..
Flanders SO [Belgium] were joined for this performance by Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus [England] for a generally sturdy performance that took no risks, but delivered everything it needed to……
The chorus gave a very decent account that was nicely co-ordinated and alight with attention to Poska’s requirements in terms of speed and dynamic, albeit that, perhaps, a little extra drama might have been gained from more contrast in the latter (the only truly pianissimo came in the final ‘dona eis requiem’ of the ‘Agnus Dei’). The contrapuntal material presented them with no challenges, so that their fugues throughout were crisp and well delineated in each voice (although perhaps having half of the sopranos and altos positioned in the gallery led to occasionally understrength entries in these parts). If the opening of the ‘Sanctus’ was perhaps a touch underpowered (the subsequent statements got louder), the friskiness brought to ‘Hosanna’ made up for it.”
Barry Creasy see full review at Flanders Symphony Orchestra review – Vienna comes to London via Ghent and Sheffield 21 June 2024