Review: CBSO/Rodgers and Hammerstein, at Birmingham Symphony Hall

Jul 9 2010 By Christopher Morley

Review: CBSO/Rodgers and Hammerstein, at Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Bringing the same awesome commitment and expertise as it had to Wagner’s Lohengrin under Andris Nelsons, the CBSO did the same on Friday for John Wilson’s brilliantly-constructed sequence of gems from Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.

Where the orchestra had shimmered in the otherworldly Lohengrin Prelude, here the classy Carousel waltz shimmered in a totally different way – expert woodwind conveying untuned fairground-organ harmonies, pungent brass underpinning silky string melodies. A magical introduction.

Kim Criswell and Brent Barrett were the engaging vocalists, often contributing informative (if hectically-timed, over orchestral segues) narrations to the packed, appreciative audience.

Criswell sings as magnificently as ever, with a huge personality to boot. But, especially in “My Lord and Master” from The King and I, she displayed an operatic scope of delivery which perhaps makes us regret we have never heard her in the classical masterpieces. And opera was very much to the fore in the heartsearching “If I loved You” Carousel scene, given complete with dialogue by the two soloists, chemistry oozing from their relationship. And later, more of the wonderful Carousel, with Barrett’s perceptive, emotional Soliloquy.

Throughout this exhilarating sequence was the stylish, sumptuous CBSO sound, Wilson conducting with understated panache, delivering the goods with the expertise which drips from his fingertips.

Rating: 5/5