Philip Mackenzie Press Reviews

A vibrant young orchestra presented a programme of extraordinary variety in Wells Cathedral on Friday. The Amadeus Orchestra is a training ground for young musicians, and many alumni now play in major British orchestras and elsewhere around the world. On the evidence presented in Wells last week, it is not hard to understand why: the professionalism, exuberance and sensitivity shown in the performance of a challenging programme was in strong evidence, and then - well, then there is the superb musicianship.

Leonard Bernstein's Overture to Candide is a cracking concert-opener, full of energy and, played under director Philip Mackenzie with great pace, it positively fizzed with the young players' enthusiasm. Cues were crisp and the intertwined melodies of the operetta were clearly defined within the whole, culminating in a thrilling coda……..

……..The second half of the programme featured Sergey Prokofiev's Romeo And Juliet Orchestral Suites 1 & 2, another vehicle to demonstrate the orchestra's versatility, as the composer chose these movements from the full score for the express purpose of musical contrast.

……..After the deafening applause finally faded, the performers threw their all into a much appreciated toe and finger-tapping encore in the form of The Dam Busters March by Eric Coates.

An imaginative, entertaining and thought-provoking evening all round.
27 July 2006 - Western Gazette
"It's two years since I last saw the Amadeus Orchestra in action, but I can still remember how impressive these young musicians were. With director Philip Mackenzie still wielding the baton, there was no reason to suppose things would be any different this time and, happily, they fulfilled all expectations at the Sheldonian last Saturday, in a triple bill of music by Mozart and Stravinsky.
Described in the programme as "a training ground for music students and young professionals", the orchestra attracts dedicated musicians of the highest calibre, whose talent and commitment are readily apparent. If you think young equals inexperienced, think again; most of these musicians, despite being barely out of their twenties, are veterans at this game. Opening the concert with the overture to The Marriage of Figaro, the players exuded confidence, which was more than justified by their bright, buoyant handling of one of Mozart's liveliest pieces of music. His Sinfonia Concertante in E flat for oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon introduced the Bratfanof Quartet, whose virtuosity was underpinned by solid support from the rest of the orchestra.
The second half brought a complete change of mood with Stravinsky's Rite of Spring neat timing, this, so soon after the TV drama Riot at the Rite. Indeed, Mackenzie reminded us that the premiere of the ballet had prompted a riot, and requested, amid laughter, that we should not rip up the Sheldonian seats "as they are 350 years old".
Although often performed as a concert item, it does seem to me that the music begs to be married to the action. My view was reinforced by the fact that Mackenzie felt obliged to give us a brief preview, to provide some "musical signposts". But while the spectacle may have been lacking, there was no shortage of energy and precision in this remarkable performance, which was exciting, bold and compelling, and brought the evening to a magnificent finale.
NICOLA LISLE, OXFORD TIMES MAY 2006
"Philip Mackenzie is an outstanding conductor. Not only does he possess an impeccable technique but most important of all he has an uncanny ability to get to the heart of the music."
ODALINE DE LA MARTINEZ
CONDUCTOR
"I have followed Philip's career since his student days and I am deeply impressed by the commitment and professionalism of his activities as a conductor. His authority on the rostrum achieves respect and musical response from the orchestras he has worked with."
EDWIN ROXBURGH
"I met Philip when I sang Four Last Songs with him. Not an easy piece to do with an inexperienced orchestra and little rehearsal time and I had not sung them before. However, from the start, I was very impressed. The orchestra was very enthusiastic and played with great feeling as well as an excellent technical skill. The end result was quite moving. As a conductor, Philip was obviously well prepared and got what he wanted from the orchestra in a professional and endearing manner, which included a sense of humour! He was supportive to me in all ways - his beat clear and musical and always flexible concerning the tempi and most important in this piece, the balance between voice and orchestra. Philip is a fine conductor. He was a joy to work with and a pleasure to meet."
JANIS KELLY
SOPRANO, ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA
"I had a great time playing with Philip Mackenzie and the Amadeus Orchestra. They play on a very high level and Philip does an excellent job of inspiring them to give really exciting performances. I wish him every future success."
STEVEN ISSERLIS
CELLIST
"This was a reading of great sensitivity and understanding, grave and joyous in turn."
BATH CHRONCLE ON ELGAR'S ENIGMA VARIATIONS JULY 2000
"Mackenzie's exuberant conducting style, his sudden silences, the stamina of the players, all came into their own, threading Stravinsky's cross-rhythms and multiple time-signatures, and the paradox of seemingly total irregularity signifying the relentless advance of the Life Force."
OXFORD TIMES ON THE RITE OF SPRING, JULY 1999
"...they played with a zeal and quality that some more famous orchestras might learn from. Their conductor, Philip Mackenzie, led them through a version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony which sounded not just fresh, but thought provoking too. Mackenzie drove his players to capture the haunting grandeur of this music, with its call on humankind to master the sublime. Nevertheless a world away from Karajan, this performance seemed to stress, as paramount, the work's allegiance to its roots - which are, of course, classical. The outcome was a clarity of texture, a technical restraint, and the sense that feelings were not so far in orbit as to sap a disciplined ensemble. One wondered, naturally, is this how Beethoven, in ideal circumstances, would have liked to hear it played?"
OXFORD TIMES ON BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH SYMPHONY, APRIL 2001
"Mahler's Second Symphony was quite simply stunning."
BRISTOL EVENING POST, OCTOBER 2001
The Amadeus Orchestra and Chorus: Colston Hall
THE concert opened with Akin To Fire, written and conducted by Raymond Wojcik, an intriguing piece which incorporates quotations from other composers, especially Beethoven.
This first piano concerto has a most dramatic opening and after a fiery cadenza, leads into a series of quieter and more deliberate passages.
The soloist. David Meacock, showed all the attributes needed to convey the different moods to a powerful and authoritative reading.
In Mahler's Second Symphony, The Resurrection, the fine orchestra - consisting of many young musicians - took a little while to establish itself.
However, after coming to grips with the intricate score, each section distinguished itself in the various movements. The brass, particularly, showed the forcefulness needed in this work.
The last passage is a colossal structure, in which Mahler incorporates the diverse feelings shown previously.
The orchestra. expertly conducted by Philip Mackenzie and supported by the choir and the two soloists, Ilona Domnich (soprano) and Jeanette Ager (mezzo soprano), produced a most stunning finale to this ethereal masterpiece.
Star rating: *****
JOHN PACKWOOOD
This "training orchestra for music, students and young professionals" gives periodic, one-off concerts and, if the blurb reports the matter honestly, exists on a shoestring. No wonder, therefore, that in the Sheldonian last week, they played with a zeal, and often with a quality, some more famous orchestras might learn from. In fact, their active - not to say dionysiac - conductor, Philip Mackenzie, led them through a version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony which sounded not just fresh, but thought-provoking too.... The Fifth Symphony struck home.
Mackenzie's rostrum bacchanal certainly drove his players to capture the haunting grandeur of this music, with its call on humankind to master the sublime. Nevertheless, a world away from Karajan, this performance seemed to stress, as paramount, the work's allegiance to its roots - which are, of course, classical. The outcome was a clarity of texture, a technical restraint, and the sense that feelings were not so far in orbit as to sap a disciplined ensemble. There was a cool exactness to the wind-playing in the andante; in the third movement, the quiet pizzicato passage, with its woodwind interjections, seemed like a piquant, matchstick-figure jest. One wondered, naturally. Is this how we might have treated this piece, with no dark glass of the 19th century to blur our sight? Is this how Beethoven, in ideal circumstances, might have liked to hear it played?
DEREK JOLE, OXFORD TIMES, APRIL 2001