BSO: Symphonic Dances at Portsmouth Guildhall Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Jan Dixon
I had the pleasure of attending a performance of Symphonic Dances by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth on Thursday 6th March 2025. This was part of the BSO Concert Programme Season 2024/25.
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is based at Lighthouse, Poole, and the Orchestra is resident in Bristol, Exeter, Portsmouth, Southampton and Yeovil. It is a leading arts charity and is the largest cultural provider in the South West of England.
The Symphonic Dances programme consisted of Sibelius – Valse Triste; Shostakovitch – Violin Concerto No.1 and Rachmaninov – Symphonic Dances. These three sets were very distinct from each other and a real joy for the senses.
The Conductor was Adam Hickox, who enthused both the orchestra and the audience with his interpretation of the musical pieces.
Valse Triste by Sibelius tells the story of a dance of death between a woman and the Grim Reaper; the music therefore both emotionally wrought and poignant. It is a short piece of music, recognisable as a slow waltz style and leading into a very intense climax before gradually fading away again to an uneasy silence.
Violin Concerto No.1by Shostakovitch, is a four movement structure, evoking different musical styles, including melancholy, almost maniacal excitement and aggression. These were underlined with a returning melody to the exciting climax of sound in the finale. The superb solo violinist Rosanne Philippens was the star in this section of the concert, playing with power and passion throughout. She was mesmerising to watch; totally focused on playing music she so clearly had a strong emotional connection to. The addition of a Romanian piece by George Enescu at the end was a surprise welcome addition to the concert and was another example of the passion of Rosanne in showcasing her amazing violin skills. The audience were rapturous in their response and Rosanne took many well-deserved encores in appreciation.
Symphonic Dances is an orchestral suite in three movements which was completed in October 1940 by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov. It was a fitting testament to the excellence of the composer; consisting of many different instruments who each were identifiable in the composition. Beautiful calming music, very melodic and serene introduced the first movement with the violin section setting the scene; gaining in volume to a crescendo of sound with the rest of the orchestra. The distinctive tone of the saxophone was heard to excellent effect followed by the uptake of the strings section. The next movement started more enthusiastically lively, with a wonderful range of instruments taking part, including the xylophone, tubular bells, harp, drums, percussion, piano, double bass and cellos and a wide variety of wind and brass instruments. Finally, the crescendo of the last movement, showcasing the superb professionalism and expertise of the full orchestra – absolutely wonderful!
Standing ovations from the audience and a deafening cacophony of applause greeted the Conductor and musicians for a number of encores; truly and passionately deserved. There was a BSO Players list provided, which gave further details of the different sections of the orchestra. All the musicians certainly showed their amazing talent and expertise in their respective instruments and richly deserved the enthusiasm of the audience’s response.
This was very much worth a 5 star rating. I would urge you to attend future Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra performances to experience the pure delight of not only listening to excellent musicians but also seeing them perform on the stage in front of you.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets were priced from £20.75 to £32.75; with a special concession of £1.00 for under 18s. Running time is 2hrs, including one interval. Portsmouth Guildhall, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth PO1 2AB. Portsmouth Guildhall is managed by the charity The Guildhall Trust. Box Office 023 9387 0200.
For more information or to book tickets, visit www.portsmouthguildhall.org.uk or call the box office on 023 9387 0200.