Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Classic FM's May 2008 Disc of the Month. And so to Tchaikovsky's [Violin] Concerto, where any addition to the plethora of available recordings needs to be special to command attention — and this is the one. Litton's Bergen Philharmonic is exquisitely detailed from the opening bars; "They sincerely want to play music in the best possible way" says [Vadim] Gluzman of its players, hailing its conductor as "absolutely sensational". While Litton keeps things opaque and tight when required, at the right moments he pulls irresistibly at the concerto's tempi and unleashes considerable tutti power, never foregoing detail.

For sheer fiery virtuosity this version of the Tchaikovsky [violin] concerto is pretty hard to beat. Gluzman's passage work in double-stops is jaw-droppingly spectacular...He's pretty remarkable elsewhere too; the first movement has plenty of Romantic passion, aided by Litton's eruptive orchestral tuttis.

The Norwegians' range of sound and color -- from the whole orchestra, not just the strings -- paid off in the whole symphony (Tchaikovsky's 4th), especially the way conductor Andrew Litton marshaled it all. With so much sound at his disposal, Litton made the lyricism rich and big-hearted.

....the orchestra showed off its power with an impressive reading of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. The sheer volume of sound from the Bergen Philharmonic was stunning with sturdy brass-laden climaxes in the first and fourth movements that made one forget how difficult the Carr auditorium can be for some ensembles. In fact, just the string section alone of this orchestra had one of the richest and fullest ensemble sounds this reviewer has ever heard in the Carr. Instead of heading for the exits after the encore, as Carr crowds usually do, the audience gave one of the longer ovations in recent memory for any orchestra. It was well deserved.

...the Bergen Philharmonic played with an unusual solidity and warmth, and produced a breadth of color that gave it a distinctive sonic thumbprint. Some of that, clearly, was Mr. Litton’s work. Mr. Litton’s reading (of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony) had the virtues of supremely polished surfaces with raw, often savage emotion swirling just beneath them.

A sell-out had greeted the Bergen Philharmonic on its impressive Proms debut with Andrew Litton... with an outstanding account of Walton's First Symphony. Litton's wonderfully mobile account, propelled on perfectly articulated bass lines, was less aggressive than many, but still tense and well-judged.

Refusal to dally heralded Litton's absolutely electric interpretation of Walton's Symphony no.1, teeming with urgency, and with clear, transparent textures reflecting the composer's gaunt, biting lines. The sustained energy of the first movement found release in an irrepressible audience "bravo" at its conclusion, though tension never really totally disappeared . . . the finale drew together all the threads convincingly under Litton's perceptive direction.

On the face of it, there seemed no particular reason why a Norwegian orchestra and an American conductor should be brought to London to play a British symphony, but this one burgeoned impressively. Litton achieved a telling instrumental blend, answering to the music's emotional pressures, and, in the incisive finale, the interpretation’s overall plan reached its climax in playing of dynamic drive and power.

The performances (of the Alnaes and Sinding Piano Concertos), with Piers Lane as soloist and the Bergen Philharmonic conducted by Andrew Litton, are jaw-droppingly good - so much so that any qualms you may have about the works themselves are swept aside by the sheer excitement of it all.

In the recording of the popular and most frequently played music (Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet)...a top European orchestra, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, comes together with Andrew Litton, an American conductor well versed in the Russian repertoire, and the result is brilliant, colorful, spirited, striking, dynamically layered and of impressive, detailed precision..."

When one has followed [the Bergen Philharmonic] for more than 45 years, with many excellent conductors, it is a great joy to note that under today’s Maestro, the very inspiring and deeply musical Andrew Litton, the time has come for the BPO to be compared with the best orchestras in Europe and the world at large.

All the uneasiness and drama which lies in the music (Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10) was brought out with extraordinary energy and unanimous sensitivity between musicians and conductor. Andrew Litton controlled it all with great assurance and total command of dynamic extremities...An excellent achievement which portends well for the upcoming European tour...a long and eventful concert, enthusiastically received by the audience, reflecting pride in the obvious progress and development of the venerable Musikselskabet Harmonien (Bergen Philharmonic).

Again it became clear that Andrew Litton knows how to get the orchestra to play the way he wants it to. It was an emotionally charged interpretation where the conductor and the musicians never missed an opportunity to bring out all the abundant romantic intensity of the symphony (Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4). It is clear that he inspires his orchestra.

It was a program of pure pleasure for both ear and mind (Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra). Principal Conductor Andrew Litton revelled on every level, and the audience loved it. Litton's best qualities lie in being a communicator, his ability to express himself, and to create an atmosphere. An impromptu description of the work before Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was a perfect illustration on how a musician can exploit his communicative skills to reach an audience. When he immediately afterwards embarked on his role as soloist, he was obviously in his element. He had a perfect command of his role, he knew it, and enjoyed the situation.

Andrew Litton, the American with both legs firmly planted in European music and orchestral traditions, is to be given a lot of the credit. It's a long time since the orchestra from Bergen has had such an energetic boss. The conductor's involvement — seemingly easy-going, but ecstatic — was contagious. A performance to be remembered! Anyone else rendered breathless?

From the first moment, Litton worked with an intensity as if replacing Strauss as hero in [Ein Heldenleben]. He was obviously on home ground here. The way Litton and the orchestra played gives good reason to look forward to the Strauss-concerts later this autumn.