Kenneth Woods - conductor
“The charismatic American conductor, Kenneth Woods…”
The Guardian
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Ken's Summer 2019 Newsletter
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Ken conducting the English Symphony Orchestra at the 2019 Elgar Festival in the sold out Gala Concert celebrating the
100th Anniversary of the premiere of the Elgar Cello concerto
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English Symphony Orchestra
Pavel Šporcl violin
Kenneth Woods conductor
Programme
Matthew Taylor Symphony no. 5 (world premiere)
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Quickly becoming acclaimed as one of the UK’s finest and most innovative orchestras, the International Orchestra of Elgar Country makes its Cadogan Hall debut with one of the most popular and iconic works in the repertoire, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, heard here alongside a brand-new Fifth from leading British symphonist, Matthew Taylor.
Pavel Šporcl, one of Europe’s most popular soloists, rounds out the programme with Mendelssohn’s much loved Violin Concerto.
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Orchestra of the Swan
Mahler and David Matthews
2 April and 28 May
Ken has just completed two ambitious programmes with his colleagues at the Orchestra of the Swan, where he served as Principal Guest Conductor from 2009-14.
Both projects brought together major new works from David Matthews with music by Gustav Mahler.
Five Stars
Mozart - Adagio and Fugue for in C minor:
"This is Mozart at his grittiest, and the OOTS strings dug in, hewing jagged lines of immense power which still ring in the memory."
Mahler arr. Stadlmair - Adagio from Symphony no. 10 for 18 Solo Strings:
" we continued with Stadlmair’s astonishingly resourceful string orchestra arrangement of Mahler’s posthumous Tenth Symphony’s first movement. There is telling use of solo strings here, beginning with an eloquent viola solo from Daisy Spiers, and this was a reading under Woods which combined delicacy with intensity, appropriately expressionistic..."
David Matthews - Winter Remembered:
"David Matthews...was present here to hear his mini-concerto for viola and strings, Winter Remembered, achingly pastoral, lyrically melodic, pulsatingly rhythmic, and sitting so well on its scoring. Carmen Flores was the eloquent and impressive soloist in this magical performance."
Britten - Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge:
"we were brought back to earth with a characterful Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge by Benjamin Britten (Britten revered Mahler, and Matthews also worked as an assistant to Britten — the chain is complete). There was wonderful empathy here between the section leaders, and Woods’ players brought all Britten’s string rhetoric to the fore, enjoying every jot of this brilliant score."
David Matthews - Le Lac
: “Far greater substance was provided by David Matthews’ new work… there was a great deal to admire in both music and performance....It’s a fine, rich piece and I’m keen to hear it again in again"
Schubert arr. Woods - Der Tod und das Mädchen:
“Woods’ arrangement of the [Death and the Maiden] variations is very skilful...I thought the piece as a whole was a most effective Schubertian arrangement and Woods’ idea to bring the variations back to the song itself, the fons et origo, was very imaginative. The Orchestra of the Swan played the piece most persuasively under Woods’ guidance.”
Mahler arr. Simon - Symphony no. 4:
“…an abundance of inner textural detail was audible. I think it helped enormously that Kenneth Woods was in charge of proceedings for he has strong Mahler credentials… It seemed to me that throughout the performance Woods’ conducting evidenced great empathy with the music and understanding of Mahler style – the strings’ idiomatic use of portamento was a case in point. "
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Colorado MahlerFest
10-19 May in Boulder, Colorado
Ken's fourth Colorado MahlerFest was the festival's most ambitious yet, culminating in the world premiere of Breitkopf & Härtel's new Critical Edition of Mahler's Symphony No. 1.
Other highlights included the launch of the new MahlerFest Chamber Orchestra, an expanded program of chamber orchestra concerts and the annual seminar.
MahlerFest Chamber Orchestra:
"Mahler’s song cycle
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
(Songs of a Wayfarer), which is closely connected with the First Symphony. The cycle was performed in the interesting chamber orchestration by Arnold Schoenberg and sung by CU-Boulder alumnus and favorite local operatic performer Joshua DeVane. DeVane’s interpretation was exciting, heart-rending, and passionate... Woods led the small ensemble deftly throughout the program, which also included the humorous, delightful
arrangement by Schoenberg of Johann Strauss, Jr.’s Emperor Waltz
and Mahler’s arrangement for string orchestra of
Beethoven’s “Serioso” String Quarte
t. Both performances were revelatory. But it was
Woods’s own string orchestra arrangement of Viktor Ullmann’s Third String Quartet that was most moving."
MahlerFest Orchestra:
"The MahlerFest orchestra came through heroically as it always does in the audacious
First Symphony
. Woods carefully paced the symphony’s famous “breakthroughs” (which provided the theme for the festival). The ironic funeral march of the third movement was atmospheric, as was the buoyant second movement...
Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3,
played with Mahler’s skillful adjustments for large orchestra, was also thrilling, but the central work, Erich Wolfgang
Korngold
’s lush
Violin Concerto
, almost overshadowed the symphony. Beyers served as soloist and was spectacular, as was the orchestra."
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Elgar Festival 2019
30 May- 2 June in Worcester, UK
The 2019 Elgar Festival, Ken's second as
Artistic Director
, celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the composition of the Elgar Cello Concerto with an ambitious programme of 7 sold-out concerts, lectures, exhibitions, poetry readings and outdoor activities.
Ken conducted the Gala Concert with soloist Raphael Wallfisch in a programme that, in addition to the Cello Concerto, included Vaughan Williams' Fifth Symphony and Donald Fraser's acclaimed arrangement of Sea Pictures for Choir and Strings. Ken also hosted the Elgar for Everyone Family Concert, contributing his own brand of stand-up comedy to the festival.
BBC Radio 3 featured the festival on
In Tune
, with an in-studio performance by Raphael Wallfisch. You can listen online via BBC Sounds
for 30 days here
(starts at 34 mins.
There was also a feature article on the concert and the anniversary in The Telegraph from Ivan Hewett
here
.
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Ken's new Nimbus Alliance recording of David Matthews Ninth Symphony remains in the Classical Charts!
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David Matthews Symphony no. 9, Variations for Strings and Double Concerto
“Stunning concert with every piece done to perfection. The superb Sheku Kanneh-Mason in the Elgar. The world premiere of David Matthews’ 9th Symphony. And a terrific orchestration of the Elgar Piano Quintet. Everything presided over by the urbane Kenneth Woods”
,
James Jolly, Editor-in-Chief,
Gramophone
, May 2018
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"This is music to hold close and to savour at leisure...
Kenneth Woods, conductor
conducts the sweet serenity that is the English Symphony Orchestra... the narrative reflects something of a thinking man’s struggle to maintain a reasoned equilibrium in a threatened universe...This is a lovely symphony, an altogether personal utterance by a composer who lives and breathes symphonic form, who writes out of love for each and every instrument of the orchestra. Disc of the Week."
Norman Lebrecht - Lebrecht Listens
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"David Matthews’ Ninth Symphony is a highly impressive composition. It’s extremely attractive and it’s brilliantly conceived for the orchestra. It’s been well worth the wait to hear this important work which, having made a strong first impression on me, has seemed even better the more I’ve listened to it. The work is splendidly served by Kenneth Woods and the English Symphony Orchestra, who turn in a highly assured performance. This is an important release...."
John Quinn - MusicWeb International
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"David Matthews is the author of a personal, original, spontaneous and authentic body of work...the most influential exponent of English music after Benjamin Britten and Michael Tippett... The Variations are "a moving composition where the beautiful passages that reflect the talent of the composer are not lacking... The orchestra remains in splendid second form...
Kenneth Woods, conductor
a reflective director, of intrepid vocation and a refined expressiveness, makes an essential contribution to the British symphonic creation."
Carmé Miro - Sonograma
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"
3 magnificent works masterfully transport the English tradition of Britten, Arnold & Tippett into the 21st century.
Sometimes pastoral, always thoughtful, totally absorbing, the supremely confident 9th symphony reveals more depth with each listen. Oh, and it's got TUNES!!! My
Disc of the Week
."
Adam Philp - The Symphonist.
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Recent Recordings
Click on the cover to see an overview of recent critical response
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