Joanna MacGregor’s habitual breaking of moulds, tearing-up of templates and radicalisation of routines should inspire and empower the Coffee Concerts after this arresting presentation. The new artistic director and conductor of Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, installed during the pandemic in September and yet to stage her first BPO concert, stepped loose from Continue reading Coffee Concert 18th April 2021 – Joanna MacGregor With Brighton Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble – Other Reviews
J.S. Bach (1685-1750) Harpsichord Concerto No 5 in F minor BWV 1056 (1738)
No tempo marking
Largo
Presto
This concerto is one of a set of six for single harpsichord and strings that Bach assembled in Leipzig around 1738-9. Little is known of their provenance or purpose, but some are clearly identical to earlier surviving concertos written for a different solo instrument such as violin or oboe. For example, No 3 in D is a transposition of the violin concerto in E – the shift down a tone allowing its top note to remain within the compass of contemporary harpsichords. Continue reading 18th April 2021 – Joanna MacGregor with Brighton Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble – Programme notes by Chris Darwin
We are delighted to announce a final concert in the 2020/21 season, livestreamed from the Brighton Dome Concert Hall. Continue reading Newsletter #59
These two works (symphonic in scale, complexity and concentration) demand a huge range of feeling and technical grasp which make it an achievement to include both in one concert. Joanna MacGregor and the Philharmonic’s strings, despite the necessary physical distancing, rose to the task with performances of sustained beauty and power.
The opening movements of both pieces demand great drive and forward movement. Chris Darwin’s Continue reading Coffee Concert 14th March 2021 – Joanna MacGregor with Brighton Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble – Strings Attached Review by John Hawkins
Laughter among musicians immediately they finish a performance is not something a concert audience expect to hear. Continue reading Coffee Concert 14th March 2021 – Joanna MacGregor with Brighton Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble – Other Reviews
This is a brief reminder about the coffee concert on Sunday 14 March, which will be livestreamed from the Brighton Dome Concert Hall at 11.30am. Joanna MacGregor and the Brighton Philharmonic Principal Players will perform Schumann’s piano quartet opus 47 and Brahms’ piano quintet opus 34. Continue reading Newsletter #58a
