sports
January 10, 2026
BBCNOW/ Bancroft/ Gerhardt review
Hoddinott Hall, CardiffAn imaginatively programmed concert featured Anders Hillborg alongside Sibelius and Shostakovich – with Alban Gerhardt the impeccable soloist in the latter’s second cello concerto
TL;DR
- Anders Hillborg's composition "Exquisite Corpse" was inspired by a surrealist game and features diverse instrumental colors and composer references.
- Alban Gerhardt performed Shostakovich's "Cello Concerto No. 2," emphasizing its melancholy beauty and rhythmic precision.
- Sibelius's "Lemminkäinen Suite," based on Finnish epic, was performed, with its narrative of Lemminkäinen's death and resurrection creating a surreal connection.
- Ryan Bancroft led the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, eliciting praise for balancing narrative drama with elemental qualities in Sibelius and for precision in Shostakovich.
- Alban Gerhardt joined the cello section to play in the Sibelius suite after his solo performance.
Continue reading the original article