Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Review of Walton's Belshazzar
Labels:
Barbican,
concert review
My review of Walton's Belshazzar's Feast performed a the Barbican on Saturday 10th by BBC forces is here, on OperaToday.
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"the BBC Symphony Chorus fielded just 150 singers to battle it out with Walton’s huge orchestra"
ReplyDeleteActually no. There were only 120 on stage.
Even more impressive if that's the case. My estimate was based purely on a rough count of seats, I obviously got it wrong.
ReplyDeleteHi Robert,
ReplyDeleteI don't know about other choirs, but it's very rare that the BBCSC field more than 120 on the Barbican stage, as this is the limit imposed for safety reasons. Ironically, when it does happen it's because the band is smaller, e.g. Mozart Requiem, at times when a large chorus is not required. Don't you just love the Barbican?
Compliments of the season to you!
Dave
One of my perennial gripes about concert series at the Barbican, both the BBC and the LSO. They perform concerts where the choir fielded is just too small for the orchestra. Singers perform valiantly but its not the same. The LSO's Dream of Gerontius was profoundly disappointing from that point of view.
ReplyDelete