Press
Review: Camerata Wales l Cymru - David Hurwitz, Classics Today
Through Gold And Silver Clouds
David Hurwitz' review for Classic Today of the Camerata Wales l Cymru recording Through Gold And Silver Clouds can be found in the recordings section of the website here
David Hurwitz' review for Classic Today of the Camerata Wales l Cymru recording Through Gold And Silver Clouds can be found in the recordings section of the website here
Review: Camerata Wales l Cymru - Wales Online
St David's Hall, Cardiff
"It's not that long ago that Owain Arwel Hughes' appearances in Wales were confined to his own Welsh Proms season each July, but in recent years he has been conducting here more regularly having rejuvenated the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.
At St David's Hall in Cardiff this week he introduced his latest enterprise in the form of Wales' newest chamber orchestra, Camerata Wales. Their inaugural concert was performed in London in June but this was their first appearance in Wales, with the support of the Welsh Development Agency.
It is intended that the 43-strong ensemble, including many ex-pats on the London orchestral scene, will eventually perform throughout Wales and will also record with Owain Arwel Hughes on the Swedish CD label, BIS. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if the orchestra were to appear at a future Welsh Proms.
Sadly there were relatively few in the audience at St David's Hall at the start of this new venture that deserves strong support. The eclectic programme opened with a bracing performance of Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture. Evidently Owain Arwel Hughes does not see this work as a kind of impressionistic tone poem, but one rooted in classical form, and it emerged all the stronger for that.
The conductor's father Arwel Hughes was one of the pivotal figures in Welsh music in the last century.
It was good to hear his Fantasia in A minor for strings. Through its gentle pizzicato opening, its beautifully written (and played) cello solo, the fugato and dance-like theme, to its melancholic final bars, this was a delightful discovery. The performance was a fully committed one.
The soloists in Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos were Cassie Yukawa and Rosey Chan. Both in their early 20s, they gave delightful performances, displaying nimble dexterity at the keyboard. The orchestral accompaniment however was somewhat relentless, with little light and shade.
The accompaniment was altogether more pleasing in Debussy's wonderful Danses Sacre et Profane featuring former Royal harpist to the Prince of Wales, Catrin Finch. This was a lovely performance which brought out all the work's elegiac qualities.
The final work of the concert was Beethoven's Symphony No 8. This was an invigorating performance in every respect.
The opening movement, complete with exposition repeat, was lithe and spirited, and no want of purpose in the central development section. The second movement with its metronomic rhythmic patterns in the woodwind was ideally paced, crisp and played with great affection.
The third movement may have seemed a touch quick for a minuet necessitating a slowing down for the central trio section which featured splendid playing from the horns. The symphony was capped by a vigorous and bucolic finale to bring a highly successful Welsh debut by Camerata Wales to a close."
"It's not that long ago that Owain Arwel Hughes' appearances in Wales were confined to his own Welsh Proms season each July, but in recent years he has been conducting here more regularly having rejuvenated the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.
At St David's Hall in Cardiff this week he introduced his latest enterprise in the form of Wales' newest chamber orchestra, Camerata Wales. Their inaugural concert was performed in London in June but this was their first appearance in Wales, with the support of the Welsh Development Agency.
It is intended that the 43-strong ensemble, including many ex-pats on the London orchestral scene, will eventually perform throughout Wales and will also record with Owain Arwel Hughes on the Swedish CD label, BIS. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if the orchestra were to appear at a future Welsh Proms.
Sadly there were relatively few in the audience at St David's Hall at the start of this new venture that deserves strong support. The eclectic programme opened with a bracing performance of Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture. Evidently Owain Arwel Hughes does not see this work as a kind of impressionistic tone poem, but one rooted in classical form, and it emerged all the stronger for that.
The conductor's father Arwel Hughes was one of the pivotal figures in Welsh music in the last century.
It was good to hear his Fantasia in A minor for strings. Through its gentle pizzicato opening, its beautifully written (and played) cello solo, the fugato and dance-like theme, to its melancholic final bars, this was a delightful discovery. The performance was a fully committed one.
The soloists in Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos were Cassie Yukawa and Rosey Chan. Both in their early 20s, they gave delightful performances, displaying nimble dexterity at the keyboard. The orchestral accompaniment however was somewhat relentless, with little light and shade.
The accompaniment was altogether more pleasing in Debussy's wonderful Danses Sacre et Profane featuring former Royal harpist to the Prince of Wales, Catrin Finch. This was a lovely performance which brought out all the work's elegiac qualities.
The final work of the concert was Beethoven's Symphony No 8. This was an invigorating performance in every respect.
The opening movement, complete with exposition repeat, was lithe and spirited, and no want of purpose in the central development section. The second movement with its metronomic rhythmic patterns in the woodwind was ideally paced, crisp and played with great affection.
The third movement may have seemed a touch quick for a minuet necessitating a slowing down for the central trio section which featured splendid playing from the horns. The symphony was capped by a vigorous and bucolic finale to bring a highly successful Welsh debut by Camerata Wales to a close."