CityLife

BBC Philharmonic

BBC Philharmonic
Bridgewater Hall
April 16, 2011

Gianandrea Noseda’s nine years at the helm of the BBC Philharmonic have been an exciting ride. And it was fitting that his last concert as chief conductor was a thrilling account of Verdi’s Otello, with some of his favourite soloists.

The London Symphony Chorus, too, played a vital part, bringing weight and attack to their role. The Phil were determined to do him credit, with glorious playing under leader Yuri Torchinsky.

Opera in concert can often become a tussle between an over-exuberant orchestra, bringing a large body of players into full focus rather than in a pit, and singers who struggle to be heard. One of the best things about this performance was that it hardly ever seemed like that, despite the no-holds-barred richness of the sounds Noseda commanded.

But then he had three at the top of their form as his principals: Barbara Frittoli, who has sung gorgeously for us in Manchester before and was a lustrous Desdemona; Lado Ataneli, a vivid and animated impersonation of Iago; and Clifton Forbis, a mighty heroic tenor, bringing insight and sympathy to Otello himself.

That’s not to denigrate the others: Alessandro Liberatore (Cassio) and Madeleine Shaw (Emilia) in particular, and Matthew Hargreaves (Montano/He­rald), John Pierce (Roderigo), and Julian Close (Lodovico) making up a fine and effectively balanced team.