Ibragimova, LSO, Stutzmann, Barbican review – grace and gravity

★★★★ IBRAGIMOVA, LSO, STUTZMANN, BARBICAN Grace and gravity

Memorable Mendelssohn, bookended by hearty but classy Brahms and Wagner

Alina Ibragimova’s solo journey (in 2015) through the peaks and abysses of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas gave me vivid Proms memories to treasure for a lifetime. The Russian-born violinist’s Bach abounds in both majesty and tenderness, as well as a consuming fire of intensity when the music so demands. She brought something of the same quality to her performance last night of Mendelssohn’s E minor concerto at the Barbican.

O/Modernt Soloists, Sonoro Ensemble, Wimbledon International Music Festival review - pure instrumental poetry

★★★★ O/MODERNT SOLOISTS, SONORO ENSEMBLE Pure instrumental poetry

Hugo Ticciati programmes superbly, but the choral side lets the peerless players down

If you're going to run a music festival with flair, it's not enough just to have a run of star performers who pop up for single events. The 11th Wimbledon International Music Festival can offer those – Christian Tetzlaff and Lars Vogt, for instance, were there a week ago.

Fischer, LPO, Jurowski, RFH review - total focus in shattering threnodies

★★★★★ FISCHER, LPO, JUROWSKI, RFH  Total focus in shattering threnodies

Superb concerto partnership in Britten, and a Tchaikovsky interpretation perfected

Throughout his 11 years as Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra to date, Vladimir Jurowski has focused on two elements, programme-wise: tellingly-linked concerts of the rich and rare, and fine-tuned interpretations of the repertoire's cornerstones over the seasons.

Prom 12: Benedetti, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Wigglesworth - adrenalin highs and string sound to die for

★★★★★ PROM 12: BENEDETTI, NYO, WIGGLESWORTH Adrenalin flows through three remarkable interpretations

164 teenagers burn for two inspiring mentors in spectacular Russian programme

In the Netherlands, Mark Wigglesworth is already a musical legend for his work with Dutch youth orchestras. Hopefully, in addition to the year and a bit when he wrought miracles at English National Opera, he will become so in the UK after his training of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. That culminated in last night's Prom, with more than a little help from co-inspirer Nicola Benedetti.

theartsdesk in Svalbard: cultural excellence at the top of the world

THEARTSDESK IN SVALBARD Cultural excellence and polar bears at 78 degrees north

At 78 degrees north, polar bears outnumber people - but Norway's musical flag flies high

You should not die or be born on Svalbard, 1,985 kilometres above Norway's northernmost coast, and at 18 you work or leave for the mainland. Hunting is over, mining nearly so. Tourism, carefully managed, and Arctic research are the future; the Global Seed Vault is also here, and Syria has been the first country to take from it. Excursions outside the biggest settlement, Longyearbyen, are advisable only with an armed guard; dangerous polar bears outnumber inhabitants and occasionally crash into town.

Benedetti, SCO, Birmingham Town Hall review - a powerful musical alliance

★★ BENEDETTI, SCO, BIRMINGHAM Real teamwork with great leaders at the helm

Real teamwork with great leaders at the helm

Playing with such energy, such synergy and such general camaraderie at the start of a tour must surely pave the way for even greater things to come. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra with Nicola Benedetti kicked off their European tour at Birmingham Town Hall, ahead of performances in Denmark, Switzerland and Germany.

CD: Eliza Carthy - Restitute

Stark and conceptual new outing for British folk perennial

Restitute, from its music down to its title, is much about its own back story. Three years ago Eliza Carthy, a key figure in British folk music, made a well-liked album called Big Machine with her group, The Wayward Band. They lost their funding halfway through and were then rescued by 80 year old folk institution Topic Records. The album fared OK but, due to machinations no fault of the label, no-one was paid.

Benedetti, BBCSO, Oramo, Barbican review - Elgar challenges, Dvořák soothes

★★★ NICOLA BENEDETTI, BBCSO, BARBICAN Expressive intensity in the Elgar concerto, despite its pressing technical demands

Expressive intensity in the Elgar concerto, despite its pressing technical demands

Among the greatest violin concertos in the repertoire, the Elgar is far too rarely performed. One of the reasons is its huge dramatic scale and almost hour-long duration – Sakari Oramo wisely programmed it here with Dvořák’s relatively modest Seventh Symphony, but this was still a long concert.

Classical CDs Weekly: Martinů, Prokofiev, Sullivan

CLASSICAL CDS WEEKLY Martinů on violin, a Scottish Peter and the Wolf and an Arthur Sullivan oratorio

20th century violin music, a Russian fairytale in a Scots makeover and an exhumed Victorian oratorio

 

Martinu Violin musicMartinů: The Complete Music for Violin and Orchestra Bohuslav Matoušek (violin), Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Christopher Hogwood (Hyperion)