Lonely Angel
Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
Violin: Ruth Rogers
Viola: Sascha Bota
Conductor/Piano: Joanna MacGregor
Brighton Dome, 22 February 2026
This delightful concert belonged to the charismatic, smiley, talented Ruth Rogers who played violin solo in two works and led the orchestra in another. And she shines whatever she does.
But we started, presumably while Rogers limbered up, with a short work led by the orchestra’s assistant leader Nicky Sweeney: another richly accomplished player. The Romanian Folk Dances – a miniature six part suite – is one of Bartok’s best known works and it was played here by BPO strings (reduced numbers throughout this concert) standing, rather than sitting, which made the music feel much freer. Sweeney played the solos with plenty of Romanian verve and inspired the orchestra to do the same. It’s a work which makes a good concert opener, and it’s nice to see strings in the limelight.
Then Rogers appeared, wearing the sparkliest dress I have ever seen, with viola player Sascha Bota to play Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major. K364. And what a pleasure it was. Both players played along with their respective sections until it was time for their solo passages, in the traditional manner. They then treated us to a musical conversation leaning in to each other, smiling and exuding musical rapport. In the second movement Joanna MacGregor, now conducting but without a podium, paid careful attention to dynamics which allowed us to enjoy the mellow delicacy of Bota’s playing along with some pleasing horn work and enough warmth to toast crumpets on. That musical camaderie continued in the Presto with lots of lightness, joy and laughter. And, for once, the happy hugs at the end felt genuine rather than perfunctory.
After the interval we were plunged into a different sound world with Lonely Angel: Mediation for violin and string orchestra by Peteris Vasks, the 12 minute work which gave this concert its title. It’s an evocative piece in which Rogers played the plangent legato passages with ethereal (angelic?), silvery energy – and astonishing control. Her series of harmonics at the very top of the instrument carried impressive resonance. The sotto voce accompaniment is, I’m sure, challenging to sustain but of course MacGregor ensured that it worked.
And finally once the indefatigable Rogers had slipped back on stage in a plain black dress we were off into the Mozart’s G minor Piano concerto with MacGregor at the key board co-conducting with Rogers in the leader’s seat. The collaborative work in this concert was very striking and I was left wondering whether some of it really was down to most women being better at multi-tasking than most men along with the ability to leave their egos at home. But that may be over-simplistic.
My mild synesthesia paints anything in G Minor slate blue and that certainly applied to this performance in which MacGregor treated us to the thunderous Beethoven cadenzas. It was a fine rendering with beautiful balance between the horn and flute in the last movement. And that chirpy wind melody which is several times echoed by the piano and always makes me beam (as well as providing an ear worm for the rest of the day) was played here with cheerful insouciance.
