Newbury Spring Festival 2025 opening orchestral concert ‘a splendid occasion’

Emanuil Ivanov and the English Chamber Orchestra

at St Nicolas’ Church, Newbury

on Saturday, May 10

Review by HELEN BOMGARDNER

THE opening concert of the Newbury Spring Festival 2025 was a splendid occasion. We welcomed Bulgarian pianist, Emanuil Ivanov and the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Roberto Forés Veses.

In a dramatic rendition of Mendelssohn’s Overture, The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave), the orchestra portrayed the haunting beauty of the lonely cave and captured most successfully the ever-changing moods of the unpredictable sea.

Winner of the First Prize at the 2019 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, Ivanov has performed in some of the world’s prestigious venues. He treated us to an outstanding performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11.

A glorious orchestral exposition set the scene to the first movement, Allegro maestoso. From Ivanov’s very first entry, a magnificent and majestic flourish, his passionate rendition was captivating.

He made the piano sing – so important in this concerto. Especially memorable for me was the melancholy cantabile second subject, sounding as if it were a beautiful bel canto aria. His virtuosic passage-work, sparkling with life, was spectacular and his trills were thrilling.

Ivanov gave an intensely passionate performance of the E major Romanze. His ‘singing’ of the opening aria was magical and he enriched the reprise with glorious ornamentation. Throughout the beautifully flowing movement, his lyrical playing was so expressive: reflective, poetic, full of colour and often spellbinding.

In the energetic Finale, Rondo: Vivace, Ivanov’s rendition was a mix of delightful exuberance, rhythmic vitality and tender lyricism.

His passages of virtuosity in the coda, culminating in an awesome ‘flight’ up the keyboard, brought his superb performance to an end.

Roberto Forés Veses was inspirational in his conducting of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, ‘Scottish’. The sombre introduction (the Holyrood theme) was atmospheric, haunting and mysterious. In a dramatic ‘Allegro un poco agitato, the stormy and the calmer passages were contrasted with great effect. The thunderous fortississimo (fff) climax in the coda was thrilling.

The second movement, a joyful scherzo, was sprightly and high-spirited. I was particularly impressed with the woodwind, especially the solo clarinet. In the Adagio, the expressive ‘singing’ melody was yearningly beautiful and the contrasting dramatic passages, rich in colour were so exciting.

In a superb finale, the Allegro vivacissimo, brimming with energy, was vivacious and exciting.

The closing Allegro maestoso, with magnificent horn playing, was jubilant and triumphant, ending a very special concert in exhilarating mood.