CLASSICAL MUSIC: Prepare for Beethoven at the Dome

THE Dome faithful are always delighted to see guest conductor Stephen Bell take the baton to lead the excellent Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra through their traditional New Year's Eve Viennese concert and will be equally pleased to welcome him back on the last day of this month.
By The Newsroom
Published 4th Jan 2010, 14:38 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 00:58 BST

Before that concert featuring the music of Walton, Tomasi and Dvorak, however, resident musical director Barry Wordsworth returns for a mighty offering of all Beethoven works on Sunday week (January 17 at 2.45pm).

The famous Choral Symphony No 9 sung by the Brighton Festival Chorus will be the cornerstone of the concert, which also includes the Egmont Overture and the Romance for violin No 2.

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Helping ease the regulars, plus many occasional visitors who helped make it virtually a packed house, into the new year was the usual mix of timely favourites such as the Tritsch Tratsch Polka, the Blue Danube and Radetzky March.

But there were a few less familiar tunes from the Strauss family to add to the interest, including a little heard romance that featured the excellent playing of the BPO's principal cellist Peter Adams.

Latest invited songbird was Canadian lyric coloratura Christina Haldane who was superb in her rendition of favourites from Die Fledermaus and showed just what high standards can be achieved with the minimum of rehearsal time.

She did particularly well to match the might of the BPO and is to be especially complimented on her excellent diction.

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Every year a morning gathering is enough to put together a concert that always proves a real delight and a great way to end the old year.

It speaks volumes for the quality of the BPO who were praised for their efforts by the guest conductor.

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