Reviews
The Scottish bassoonist throws a light on a neglected repertoire.
Here is Livingston’s finest – bassoonist Karen Geoghegan – in full bloom with the magnificent BBC Philharmonic and its soon-to-depart principal conductor Gianandrea Noseda furnishing luxury accompaniment to a glorious set of performances. Others can make the bassoon sing, and there are countless acrobats of the instrument these days; but nobody combines all of these skills with such musicianship, grace, poise and the effortless sense of style of Geoghegan. Her Mozart playing is the best I’ve ever heard, and elevates Amadeus’s Concerto way above its regular standing. On a disc that features beautiful performances of lesser-known concerto-type works by Kreutzer and Crusell, delivered with spectacular virtuosity, the real find (and a recent one) is the Bassoon Concerto by Rossini. There is some dispute about the authorship of the piece, but it is Rossini to the life. Whoever wrote it, it’s a fabulous addition to the repertoire, and Geoghegan plays it with every ounce of character at her disposal. A brilliant disc.
Herald Scotland
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