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"There is a recital that evening given by Michael Thompson, who is one of Britain's best horn players. He plays Dukas's mournful Villanelle, then some extraordinary Messiaen, then invites some Royal Academy pupils to join him. At this point I realise what horn ensembles are meant to sound like." - Daily Telegraph
A recent guest appearance on BBC Radio 3
Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins
‘Sir Colin Davis Conducts a Monster Orchestra!’
from classicalsource.com
Reviewed by Douglas Cooksey
'Monster' is the only dictionary adjective adequate to describe the coalescence of the orchestras of the Guildhall School and the Royal Academy of Music – no less than 113 players were listed in the programme for this concert, a repeat of one given two nights earlier in The Maltings in Snape.
Special praise to the mellow horn quartet at the beginning whose depth of tone and security would have done credit to any orchestra and also to the sensitive solo woodwinds, especially the first flute of Fiona Paterson.
Francesca Moore-Bridger delivered the all-important first horn part with finesse and an Alan Civil-like depth of tone; she is surely a star in the making.
This was a performance which would have raised the roof at the Royal Albert Hall, and, indeed, one hopes that the Proms planners will make room for this new combination – which in its power and panache was vastly preferable to some of the scrappy offerings served up during the Proms season just ended.