Bushra El-Turk
Mosaic
Haydn
Symphony No.45 in F sharp minor, Hob 1:45 ‘Farewell’
Mahler
Das Lied von der Erde
Jamie Barton (mezzo-soprano)
Clay Hilley (tenor)
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Anja Bihlmaier
Reviewed by: Rob Pennock
Reviewed: 21 August, 2026
Venue: Royal Albert Hall, London
Before the music a quick note on the sound. As mentioned before the BBC use a lossy format that isn’t even of CD quality, let alone high-definition streaming or downloads. So, there is no way, even on very expensive hi-fi equipment, you will hear what the audience do, including the acoustic. On top of this the BBC use multiple microphones and its anyone’s guess what their recording engineers do with the balance.
The Lebanese composer Bushra El-Turk’s 2009 Mosaic takes its inspiration from Das Lied von der Erde and features, to quote the BBC announcer, fragmented identities through bursts of quasi-Byzantine chants passed round the orchestra with increasing intensity. As a sound picture it was arresting, but fragmented identities?
Haydn’s Forty Fifth is scored for oboes, horns and strings, with F sharp minor key imparting considerable drama to the opening movement, where Bihlmaier took a sprightly tempo. The horns however could have been more prominent, and it was very disappointing that she ignored the repeat of the development, recapitulation and coda. The slow movement was elegant and beautifully played but here she ignored the repeat of the second half. Elegance prevailed again in the Allegretto Minuet, and the final Presto was swift, with the famous Adagio farewell, where each of the players leaves the stage, beautifully handled. It was still a pity that Bihlmaier didn’t give us the complete work.
The opening of the Mahler was promising, with clearly audible woodwind trills and harp scales and Hilley rode the orchestra with ease. However, at Dunkel ist das Leben ist der Tod, the sehr getragen marking Hilley would have made more impact with a change in tonal shading; but his veiled tone on Tod when it reappeared was affecting. In the ensuing orchestral interlude, there was plenty of wind characterisation and sweet string tone, including some very rich lower strings prior to the tenor’s reappearance. In the big climax Hiller was imposing with a piercing B flat. Here though the forte-fortissimo (fff) horns weren’t loud enough.
Der Einsame im Herbst was disappointing because Barton entered at mezzo-forte when the score says pp and continued in the same vein. Nowhere did she suggest the subject’s lonely, bitter weariness and despite the felicitous woodwind playing the tempo could have been a little slower.
For a heldentenor Hilley was surprisingly light in Von der Jugend, with some delightful verbal pointing. As throughout the score, after alles wunder made the numerous tempo changes sound natural and one noted the delicacy of the staccato strings at Kopfe stehend was impressive. but sounding drunk while singing isn’t easy, if one is to avoid parody and Hilley sounded rather sober. Nevertheless, his unmarked piano high A on voll! was excellent, the metzoforte as opposed to pianissimo Lenz less so. Again, the woodwind were superb with some very characterful trilling.
At the beginning of Von der Schonheit Barton didn’t have to worry about singing softly, but there was no tonal variation, which you took for granted with singers like Baker and Ludwig. In the galop which interrupts the young maidens plucking flowers, for all the clarity of the playing, neither Barton nor Bihlmaier suggested the sexual euphoria of the vision of young men on horseback.
Der Abschied was very disappointing. After the sombre opening chords and oboe solo everything became too fast which robbed the music of spirituality and innigkeit. When the glorious tune that will end the work first appeared it was devoid of feeling and again Barton failed to interpret the text. Relying instead on a stream of undifferentiated golden tone.