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"This young woman has everything"

Bach's Six Brandenburg Concertos at Wigmore Hall

The King's Consort played out the old year with Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos. Directing from one of two harpsichords, which gave handsome support for the single strings, Robert King wove some playful dynamic contrasts… with some deliciously expressive recorder playing from Rebecca Miles in the Second and Fourth Concertos, sublime sounds from violist Jane Rogers in the Sixth and Third, and an outstanding performance throughout from violinist Stéphanie-Marie Degand…

Degand's playing is what stayed with me. Each note was a perfect oval, each phrase stylishly, radiantly, interestingly played. This young woman has everything - vivacity, authority, intelligence, a ravishing sound and deep musicality - and was a total joy to hear.

The Independent on Sunday

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"An irresistible, affecting work"

Rossini: Petite Messe Solonnelle

Twelve voices, two pianos, one harmonium: The King’s Consort perform Rossini’s Mass in its original intimate dimensions, sized to fit a Paris salon. Hardly petite in length, it’s an irresistible, affecting work, full of surprises, with tender arias, tremendous fugues, and only a few dips into the sentimental pot. The three period instruments supply a rainbow of colours.

The Times

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"Elijah's return in a blaze of glory"

Mendelssohn Elijah at Symphony Hall

When Birmingham Town Hall hosted the world premiere of Mendelssohn's Elijah under the composer's baton in 1846, the forces involved 271 choristers and an orchestra of 125… The sound produced by Robert King's lively direction was as authentically dramatic and pungent as anyone could wish. The work is a masterpiece which was lost to us under layers of accumulated sanctimoniousness for at least a century. But here in this account its blazing impact was restored.

Rasping horns, narrow-bore trombones and a sturdy, compact ophicleide (ancestor of the tuba) cut through the textures, and the athletic chorus, meticulous in its diction, delivered the text almost as a gripping page-turner narrative.

Small roles were taken from within the chorus, often joined by members of the principal solo quartet. Lucy Crowe, a last-minute substitute, was an appealing soprano, Hilary Summers displayed many differing timbres in her mezzo solos, including a decidedly spiteful Queen, and Peter Wedd brought lyricism and ardour to the tenor contributions.

But outstanding among the soloists was David Wilson-Johnson as Elijah himself. Disgruntled body-language added to the impact of his characterisation, but even with eyes closed one could easily imagine the obsessed, sometimes unattractive conviction of the prophet, delivered with authority and compassion by the bass. His "It is enough" came as a heart-stopping crucial point in the entire structure of this brilliantly-wrought score.

The Birmingham Post

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"Robert King’s conducting is alert to every sinuous, seductive twist"

Gluck Armide in Buxton

Musically, standards are high. Armide lives or dies in the orchestra, where the sorceress’s passions really surge, and Robert King’s conducting is alert to every sinuous, seductive twist and turn. The idylls that Armide conjures to ensnare her enemies, all shimmering strings and softly hypnotic waves of delicate woodwind, are fabulously well played.

The Times

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"Absolutely astonishing"

Bach's Six Brandenburg Concertos at Wigmore Hall

In these days of phone-ins, quizzes and prizes, you'd think an annual competition to come up with the most appropriate music (for that year) to see out the old year would be de rigueur.

One proposal might be to have a last gasp at the music of composers whose anniversaries had been celebrated. Here we were treated to a Bach marathon - all six Brandenburg concertos end to end - performed by the formidable King's Consort under its director, the indefatigable Robert King.

It was musically intelligent not to perform the six chronologically. Since little is certain about the origins of these pieces, let alone the number order, the order of Brandenburg 1, 6, 4 (interval), 3, 5 and 2 made an entirely satisfying programme.

In concerto 1, Andrew Clark and Gavin Edwards were supremos on natural horns, providing terrific chomping and glittering virtuosity at breakneck speed. Concerto 6 features "old" instruments - gambas - and "new" instruments - violas. What wonderful colours! Concerto 4 saw the players almost "boogieing", with violin soloist Stéphanie-Marie Degand really flying. Concerto 3 is for three violins, three violas and three cellos, and everybody gets a solo spot. The cellos magnificently negotiated their tricky arpeggiated passage. As with the other concertos, rhythms were tight, tempi fast. But throughout, the sense of dance and lilting rhythms, and a "getting-off" on each other's playing, was joyful and uplifting.

The evening ended with Brandenburg 2 where trumpeter Neil Brough, playing a period instrument without valves, was absolutely astonishing: high, accurate, effortless, awe-inspiring. That was the way to bring in the New Year!

The Independent

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"This conductor's charismatic power of communication"

Mendelssohn Elijah at the Lucerne Easter Festival

In contrast to some German performances this English performance, directed by Robert King, shone thanks to sensational agility. And it came alive through this conductor’s charismatic power of communication.

"Charismatische Übertragungskraft"

Im Unterschied zu manchen deutschsprachigen Aufführungen glänzte die von Robert King geleitete Aufführung in englischer Sprache durch eine sensationelle Beweglichkeit. Und sie lebte von der charismatischen Übertragungskraft dieses Dirigenten.

Neue Zürcher Zeitung

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"Enormous, almost alarming intensity"

Mendelssohn Elijah at the Lucerne Easter Festival

What enormous, almost alarming intensity from these professional musicians – both from the energetic players on period instruments and also from the fantastic choir whose members effortlessly took on even demanding solo roles.

"Ungeheure Intensität"

Welch ungeheure, ja bestürzende Intensität bei diesen Profis – bei den heftig mit Originalinstrumenten zupackenden Musikern wie beim phantastischen Chor, dessen Mitglieder mühelos selbst anspruchsvolle Solorollen übernehmen konnten.

Der Bund

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