“French score leaves us wanting more from Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra”

TITLE: “The French Connection” by Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra

VENUE: Huddersfield Town Hall

BY: Suzanne Smelt

DATE: 29th April 2013

Huddersfield Daily Examiner

This delightful apéritif had a clicky castanet feel created by synchronised pizzicato and staccato playing and the final tutti flourish left me wanting more.

The following musical hors d’oeuvres began with Debussy’s impressionistic Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune. The orchestra, minus most of the brass, shimmered with chromatic harmonies beneath gorgeous wind soli.

Two suites ensued. ..read more

Top performance of ambitious works

Huddersfield Daily Examiner review by Suzanne Smelt

Monday 11 February 2013

A mighty symphony by Bruckner and two powerful works by his hero, Wagner, telling of love, death and the legend of a devil-cursed sea captain, were on the menu for the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra.

Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman – the mythical seaman – was confidently portrayed by the brass; precise articulation and tuning in the woodwind, and nimble finger-work paired with agile bowing from the violins, also deserves ..read more

Stephen Pearsall introduces his review of the concert on 9 February 2013.

I have submitted this review to the Bruckner Journal; it may or may not be published in July- thanks for an excellent concert last night!

http://www.brucknerjournal.co.uk/

Last year the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated their 150 year anniversary- even older than the magnificent Town Hall completed in 1881. Of the Classic Italianate style, it incorporates a richly decorated concert hall complete with imposing ornate and functioning organ- a picture of Victorian splendour. ..read more

Saying a little in a big way

Huddersfield Daily Examiner review by Chris Robins

Monday 12 November 2012

Bravo to Huddersfield’s non-professional orchestra for introducing us to composer Vasily Kalinnikov.

Rachmaninov persuaded the publisher Jurgensen to take on his Second Symphony. Without that endorsement – and earlier encouragement from Tchaikovsky – Kalinnikov would have disappeared without trace. That would have been a pity as his Second Symphony is worth hearing.

Russian in melody and western in orchestration, it does not have much to say, but ..read more

Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra opened its 2012/13 season in November with a selection of Russian compositions.

Paul Nizinskyj was in the audience.

From Russia with love…..

Fresh from the success of a new James Bond film, it was something of a coup by the Huddersfield Philharmonic to name their winter show “From Russia with Love”.

True to theme, myself and my companion went for cocktails beforehand in black tie which, following our arrival at the town hall, prompted the staff to question whether we had ..read more