Peter Reed ended his review with “a stupendous performance of a great work.” Peter was referring to Vaughan Williams’s Fourth Symphony (1935) as conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth on May 13 in the Barbican Hall, http://www.colinscolumn.com/ryan-wigglesworth-conducts-the-bbcso-in-ravel-the-uk-premiere-of-tristan-murails-loeil-du-cyclone-a-world-premiere-from-cesar-franck-and-vaughan-williamss-fourth-symphony/. Indeed, a white-hot performance of raw emotions and – slow movement – inhospitable landscapes that demands a listen. (BTW, the R3 announcer gets it wrong: Boult conducted the premiere, not the composer; he made the first recording.)
Since May 13, Wigglesworth and the BBCSO have been to Aldeburgh to unveil Oliver Knussen’s Cleveland Pictures, http://www.colinscolumn.com/aldeburgh-festival-2022-oliver-knussens-cleveland-pictures-bbc-symphony-orchestra-conducted-by-ryan-wigglesworth-martin-owen-plays-knussens-horn-concerto-live-bbc-radi/, and my review includes a thumbs-up mention for Wigglesworth’s own Clocks from a Winter’s Tale as recorded by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with the composer conducting.
This newly appointed conductor is tackling two fourth symphonies by composers who admired each other.
His Sibelius Fourth is absolutely outstanding. A perfect choice of tempi coupled with a sound worthy of the Berlin PO under Karajan.
I will listen to the RVW Fourth and expect another triumph.
… newly appointed to BBC Scottish SO.