Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Review: Wigglesworth's Curious 2026

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, under chief conductor Mark Wigglesworth, delivered a performance that was as intellectually stimulating as it was musically rewarding. The programme, featuring Tippett’s Concerto for Double String Orchestra, Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending, Adès’s Märchentänze, and Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony, was a curious mix of familiar and lesser-known works. But what emerged was a shared creative tussle with existing musical forms and a search for new means of expression without breaking entirely with tradition.

A Curious Programme with a Common Thread

On paper, the four works seemed an unlikely combination. Tippett’s Concerto for Double String Orchestra and Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending opened the evening, followed after the interval by Adès’s Märchentänze and Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony. The common preoccupations with folk music (threaded jauntily through the Tippett and the Adès) and the natural world (VW’s lark, Sibelius’s swans) only take us so far. Yet in practice, the BSO revealed a deeper connection: each composer’s struggle with inherited forms and their quest for fresh expression.

Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending: A Risk-Taking Interpretation

Anthony Marwood’s account of The Lark Ascending abandoned the usual “Smooth Classics at Seven” mode for a covered, sometimes icy sound from the BSO’s world-class strings. His Stradivarius had an expensively sweet tone, and his cool, no-vibrato opening was compelling. However, the performance was marred by intonation problems that occasionally disrupted the spell.

Marwood fared better in Adès’s Märchentänze, which reworks folk tunes with unexpected timbral combinations and harmonies. The solo line tangled deliciously with the orchestra’s violins. But this work, written for the ultra-charismatic violinist Pekka Kuusisto, was rather less interesting with Marwood as soloist. The piece seemed to lack the extrovert energy that Kuusisto brings, though the orchestra played with precision.

Tippett and Sibelius: A Study in Contrasts

The concert opened with Tippett’s Concerto for Double String Orchestra, a work that bristles with rhythmic energy and folk-inflected melodies. The BSO’s strings, divided into two orchestras, traded phrases with zest, though the performance occasionally felt more careful than spontaneous. Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony, the evening’s anchor, received a reading of structural clarity and growing momentum. Wigglesworth shaped the famous swan theme with restraint, allowing the music to build naturally to its triumphant close.

Key Takeaways from the Performance

• Intonation issues in The Lark Ascending detracted from an otherwise compelling interpretation.
• Adès’s Märchentänze was less effective without its dedicatee, Pekka Kuusisto.
• Wigglesworth’s conducting emphasized structural clarity and organic growth.
• The BSO strings demonstrated world-class quality, particularly in Vaughan Williams.
• The programme’s theme of composers grappling with tradition was subtly revealed.

Comparative Analysis of the Works

What This Means for the BSO and Its Audience

This concert demonstrated the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s willingness to take risks and challenge audiences. Wigglesworth’s programming, while seemingly disparate, invited listeners to consider how composers across generations have negotiated the tension between tradition and innovation. For regular concertgoers, it was a reminder that familiar works can yield new insights when approached with fresh ears.

The BSO’s string section, in particular, showed why it is held in such high regard. Their ability to shift from the icy precision of The Lark Ascending to the robust energy of Tippett and the lush romanticism of Sibelius is a testament to their versatility. Marwood, despite the intonation issues, brought a distinctive voice to both his solos.

Final Thoughts

While not without flaws, this was a thought-provoking evening that lingered in the mind. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Mark Wigglesworth continues to be a vital force in British musical life, and their exploration of this repertoire is well worth hearing.

For those interested in how orchestras tackle similar thematic programmes, our review of the Aurora Orchestra’s Mahler’s First Symphony offers a fascinating comparison. The Aurora Orchestra review: Mahler's First Symphony Decoded explores how another ensemble approaches a canonical work with a fresh perspective.

Similarly, the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s recent performance of Rossini’s Stabat Mater, reviewed on our site, shows how different conductors shape familiar repertoire. The BBC Symphony Orchestra Venditti Review: Rossini Stabat Mater highlights the interpretive choices that can make or break a performance.

For a deeper dive into Mahler’s First Symphony, the Aurora Orchestra Mahler First Symphony Review: A Freudian Musical examines the work through a psychological lens, offering insights that could apply to other programme music.

Another take on Mahler’s First can be found in our Mahler's First Symphony Review: Aurora Orchestra's Freudian interpretation, which discusses the orchestra’s dramatic approach.

Shifting to British music, the John McCabe Symphonies 2 & 3 Album Review: Enormous Colour and richness might appeal to those who enjoyed the Tippett. McCabe’s music shares a similar concern with form and expression.

The Swedish Chamber Orchestra Fröst Review: Dance and Dynamism offers a contrasting example of how an orchestra can bring vitality to a programme, much like the BSO did here.

Finally, the Mahler Academy Orchestra Review: A Trailblazing Performance and the Aurora Orchestra Mahler Review: Freudian Drama at Albert Hall provide further evidence of the exciting interpretations happening in today’s concert halls.

FAQ