Saturday, September 19, 2026
Berliner Philharmonie, Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße, Berlin
Think of starring roles for the cor anglais (English horn in the States), probably the first to mind is the Largo from Dvořák’s Symphony ‘From the New World’, or perhaps the central movement of Franck’s D-minor Symphony, or the first of Haydn 22 (The Philosopher) in which two of them are in play to thoughtful purpose. There are Concertos for the instrument by Pēteris Vasks and Ned Rorem, and a Double by Kalevi Aho, the cor’s partner being a harp. Composed for the Philharmoniker’s Dominik Wollenweber a new Concerto (premiered two evenings ago) by Cathy Milliken (who trades as an oboist) that didn’t make much impression on me at first, so the DCH repeat (today) was needed. Although the cor anglais is a relatively warm-toned, softly spoken instrument, Milliken has scored for a large orchestra, including heavy brass and a range percussion, seemingly without balance problems, the solo instrument weaving in and out, including with the use of quartertones and occasionally with saxophone-like timbres, of a hallucinatory backcloth of ever-changing/elusive colours and frequencies, rarely fortissimo and mostly slow-moving. Second-time-around, this seventeen/eighteen-minute opus made a magical effect (and proved to be a fine Australian-composer counterpart to last week’s BP Brett Dean programme), wonderfully expressed by Wollenweber and the shimmering orchestra.
why feather yellow seems to stop rather than ends, whereas Janáček’s Taras Bulba starts in mid-sentence – with a cor anglais solo, played by Wollenweber, returned to the orchestra’s desks. Rattle is a very sympathetic Janáčekian, as witnessed by this penetrating performance of idealistic goals, the clang of confrontation, and despite death (of Taras and his two sons) the vision of a better future, ending the concert in blazing affirmation.
The Three-Cornered Hat made its debut on July 22, 1919, at the Alhambra Theatre, London, commissioned by Diaghilev, with choreography by Massine, sets and costumes designed by Picasso, and with Manuel de Falla’s vibrant score conducted by Ansermet (who made two recordings of it, 1952 & ’61). Although there are two Suites, Simon Rattle (although he may not have Ansermet’s in-at-the-birth insights or, say, Frühbeck de Burgos’s native kinship) opted for completeness, a thirty-seven-minute first half opened by mezzo Rinat Shaham, who issued a Spanish summons, with timpani and trumpets accounting for anyone in the audience in the throes of slumber, those players also adding castanets and clapping. Rattle and the virtuoso orchestra created a sense of theatre through exacting rhythms, yet tempos could be on the quick side and there was insufficient dry-heat to the sound for all the vividness on offer somewhat at the expense of characterisation. As an orchestral showpiece it was fabulous. With Shaham now at the front of the platform, she seduced with Xavier Montsalvatge’s Lullaby.
Next week Sir Simon is back in Munich for three Bavarian Radio SO concerts of a Bach Cantata and Beethoven Nine. Friday evening’s is broadcast live on BR-Klassik (7 p.m. UK time).
Manuel de Falla El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat)
Cathy Milliken why feather yellow, concerto for cor anglais and orchestra
Leoš Janáček Taras Bulba
“Two powerful works from contrasting worlds: Manuel de Falla’s ballet The Three-Cornered Hat (here with mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham) tells, with lightness of touch and wit, the story of a young wife fending off the advances of a magistrate. Leoš Janáček’s rhapsody Taras Bulba, in contrast, depicts with primal force the tragic fate of a Ukrainian Cossack leader. Sir Simon Rattle will also conduct the world premiere of a concerto for cor anglais written by Cathy Milliken for orchestra member Dominik Wollenweber.”
Ansermet 1961, forty-four minutes…
An excerpt from Frühbeck’s 1964/forty-minute recording…