BBCSSO/Wigglesworth Review: Brett Dean's Rich Song Cycle 2026

In the first Prom of the season, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Ryan Wigglesworth delivered a mixed but memorable concert, with Brett Dean's song cycle 'The World's Wife' standing out as rich and strange. The review highlights the emotional and structural complexities of the evening.

Elgar's First Symphony: A Study in Contrast

The concert opened with Elgar's First Symphony, a work often hailed as "the greatest symphony of modern times." Wigglesworth's interpretation emphasized architectural clarity, but the orchestra's execution sometimes felt disjointed, with choppy transitions and uneven balance. While the Adagio had moments of beauty, the overall effect left the audience more thoughtful than moved.

Judith Weir's Moon and Star

Judith Weir's 1995 piece, 'Moon and Star,' provided a shimmering contrast, with Emily Dickinson's poetry glowing through layers of orchestral texture. This work was less a traditional setting and more a prismatic explosion of imagery, showcasing the orchestra's ability to create vivid soundscapes.

Brett Dean's The World's Wife: A Theatrical Triumph

The highlight of the evening was Brett Dean's new orchestral song-cycle, 'The World's Wife,' featuring soprano Claire Booth. Drawing on Carol Ann Duffy's wry and irreverent verse, the cycle explores the women behind famous men like Icarus, Darwin, and Perseus. Booth's performance was a tour de force, bending the text into love-song, satire, prayer, and meditation with theatrical flair.

Dean's music, pitched between Pierrot Lunaire and Façade, is stylized and arch, but its rich and strange textures create new spaces within Duffy's tight epigrams. The orchestration is inventive, with moments of haunting beauty and playful dissonance that keep the listener engaged.

Comparison: Traditional vs. Contemporary Song Cycles

Key Takeaways

• Wigglesworth's Elgar was structurally sound but emotionally distant.
• Weir's 'Moon and Star' offered a shimmering, prismatic experience.
• Dean's 'The World's Wife' is a standout contemporary work, rich in texture and theatricality.
• Claire Booth's performance was a masterclass in vocal acting.

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