Reviews
Handel - Messiah
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Christoph AltstaedtRoyal Albert Hall, London, 18 December 2019
The Philharmonia Chorus is in wonderful voice and fills the vast hall with beautiful and balanced sound. "For Unto Us A Son Is Born" is suitably bright, lively and optimistic. With excellent diction and huge amounts of energy, the performance of the chorus is the standout of the evening. The sheer size of the Royal Albert Hall can present the most accomplished performers with a challenge, but the Philharmonia Chorus really rose to the occasion. Overall a beautifully engaging and festive evening.
Aliya Al-Hassan, broadwayworld.com, 19 December 2019
Altstaedt's tempos were on the fast side, and he certainly took no prisoners, yet his performers, both soloists and choir, we well up to the task and throughout the evening we had some admirably fleet passage work. In the early 1980s, I worked with a veteran choral conductor in Edinburgh who commented that the overall timing of Messiah could be gauged from the speed at which the choir could sing the semi-quaver passages. In the case of the wonderfully admirable Philharmonia Chorus that seemed to be at whatever speed Altstaedt wanted, and they sang with a nice lightness and unanimity too. Conductor Christoph Altstaedt clearly relished having a large chorus which could give him both fluidity and speed (with impressively light and fast passage-work), but also weight and drama.
Robert Hugill, Opera Today, 19 December 2019
Mahler - Symphony No.8
Orchestre National de Lille conducted by Alexandre BlochAuditorium du Nouveau Siècle, Lille, 20 November 2019
Le chœur britannique Philharmonia Chorus (impliqué, vivant) relève les défis d'une partition qui saisit et même foudroie: ici l'incantation du verbe choral « terrasse » même ; il assoit la solidité de l'édifice qui se déroule et se déploie sous nos yeux, occupant un espace de plus en plus large.
Alexandre Pham, Classiquenews.com, 21 November 2019
Mahler - Symphony No.3
Orchestre National de Lille conducted by Alexandre BlochAuditorium du Nouveau Siècle, Lille, 3 April 2019
Quant aux chœurs, ils n'ont pas d'autre choix que de se surpasser : dans le cinquième mouvement, les timbres clairs du Chœur maîtrisien de Wasquehal répondent joliment aux sopranos aériennes du Philharmonia Chorus.
Tristan Labouret, bachtrack.com, 5 April 2019
Mahler - Symphony No.2 'Resurrection'
Orchestre National de Lille conducted by Alexandre BlochAuditorium du Nouveau Siècle, Lille, 28 February 2019
Solistes au verbe incarné, chœur déchirant, machine orchestrale en métamorphose, chef soucieux des équilibres, et surtout de l'intelligibilité du texte final l'expérience aux dimensions colossales a passé et révélé sa couleur et sa vibration humaine. Jusqu'au carillon ultime, de délivrance et de lévitation d'un magnétisme inoubliable.
Lucas Irom, Classiquenews.com, 1 March 2019