REVIEWED FROM LIVE RELAY ON BBC RADIO 3
Friday, July 24, 2026
Royal Albert Hall, London
While a couple of Proms were taking place in Glasshouse Gateshead (music by Morton Feldman, followed by Nadine Shah, presumably recorded for later), John Wilson and the re-founded/now well-established again Sinfonia of London were exploring Respighi’s Rome through the composer’s terrific Trilogy, cinematic in his masterly orchestration. Beforehand, the Overture to Verdi’s La forza del destino, a little short of tension, of theatre – those few degrees making a difference between the good and the great.
Of William Walton’s Concertos for string instruments – Violin/Heifetz; Viola/Tertis (if premiered by Hindemith); Cello/Piatigorsky – the latter, written during the 1950s on the Italian island of Ischia, premiered in Boston with Charles Munch conducting, is perhaps the least-appreciated of the three. Jonathan Aasgaard, dedicatedly partnered here, is a wholly sympathetic advocate of this elusive music, its rhapsody, and the yearning expression, also the technical athleticism needed for the second movement, and making something cohesive of the Finale’s diverse Improvisations (variations; the cello sometimes terse, the orchestra let off the leash at one point, if wittier than on this occasion) although the return to the work’s opening brings a satisfying and peaceful conclusion. No encore was given or needed.
Respighi’s Trilogy celebrating Rome has already been recorded by Wilson and SoL, for Chandos several years ago (maybe this Proms revival signals a second Chandos release to come of this repertoire?). Much hard work went into these performances, superb playing that relished Respighi’s wonderful descriptions and evocations, fabulously scored… However, Festivals (1928) was short on Ancient Roman hedonism (and texturally confused at the start, off-stage trumpets) if with a really lovely mandolin solo later; the impressionistic Fountains (1916) found trouble with a rushed-through third section (when midday is reached), with Pines (1924, yet only reaching the Proms in 1985) being the most successful, from playful to majestic via a magical nightingale (the composer’s chosen Brunswick recording digitized), the brass-laden Appian Way apotheosis stunning.
Whatever possessed Wilson to now play the final section of the William Tell Overture, as well as ridiculously fast, is perhaps best passed over. Totally superfluous and detracting.
Finally, a word of praise for Radio 3 presenter Ian Skelly who never once uttered that irritating catchphrase that R3 is “the home of the proms”, which some of his colleagues overdose on to the detriment of themselves and the station. Well done sir, and also for not patronising listeners.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002yxq7
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