On none other than International Women’s Day, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra graced their presence at the Bridgewater Hall for a night of extraordinary celebration of female classical composers. The concert was broadcast live from the BBC in the evening, and included the world premiere of American Composer Sarah Gibson’s 2024 piece ‘Beyond the Beyond’, which formed the backbone of tonight’s spectacular performance.
For conducting maestro Anja Bihlmaier, the evening marked her Manchester conducting debut, and she certainly did not disappoint. The BBC Philharmonic’s principal guest conductor strode confidently onto stage, and throughout the night, her lively and energetic conducting style shone.
According to the Royal Philharmonic Society, in 2023, only 11.2% of conductors represented by British agents were female; Bihlmaier’s prowess serves as an important reminder that female classical conductors should be embraced every day, not just on International Women’s Day.
The evening began with the UK premiere of a genre-defying piece by Austrian composer Olga Neuwirth. Composed during the pandemic, the title of the piece, ‘Dreydl’, was inspired by the first line of a Yiddish Children’s song, and translates literally as a “spinning top.” The piece encapsulated a sense of ‘life passing by’ as described by the conductor through the use of repetition. The extensive and varied percussion section was a real highlight; there were rhythmic bongos throughout, intermissions from the snare and impressive countermelodies on the xylophone. The composer’s playful use of orchestral instruments, including glissandos from the trombone section, and incessant string lines, contributed towards an overall atmosphere of childlike chaos.
This was swiftly followed by ‘The Light at the End’ by Soviet Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, considered one of the most significant living composers in the world. The piece featured dramatic conflict between the French Horn and Cello, who were both deliberately incorrectly tuned, and captured the uncomfortableness of a “near-death experience.” These instruments contrasted greatly with upper strings and shimmering percussion, which provided a feeling of light relief amongst dark dissonance. Throughout the piece, the question of whether there would ever be ‘a light at the end’ lingered, and a sombre section of dialogue between the tuba and gong made this prospect seem hopeless. Suddenly, the flute, cello, and harp surprised at the end with bird-like melodic lines, concluding the piece with a glimpse of hope. Gubaidulina impressively created a cathedral of sound, and took the audience on a real rollercoaster of emotions, capturing the ups and downs of life.
After a short interval came the highly anticipated World Premiere of Sarah Gibson’s ‘Beyond the Beyond’. This BBC commission was written as Gibson’s joy at becoming a mother was tempered by her progressive and terminal cancer diagnosis, and the orchestra beautifully captured the spirit and talent of Gibson’s work. The piece was full of vivacity, with striding brass and leaping strings providing constant momentum. The oboe provided sweet counter-melodic lines which sang out to the audience beautifully. Constant excitement and unexpectedness, particularly in the more forte sections, filled Bridgewater Hall with an epic, full sound and contrasted greatly with the dramatic use of pauses. Gibson’s unique talent of creating a euphoric soundscape, and taking the audience on an expedition of life through her music, was a heartening tribute at a time which must have been particularly scary and uncertain for her.
The night ended with Emilie Mayer’s ‘Symphony Number Five in F minor’. The famous 19th-century German Romantic composer has often been described as the ‘Female Beethoven’ because of her pioneering attitude and similarities in style. Bihlmaier perfectly captured the spirit of the piece with her conducting style, lilting along in 3/4 in the first movement whilst the strings played their sweeping melodic lines in a courting waltz style. The second movement highlighted the talent of the young female French horn player, who excelled with her smooth and beautiful tone in solo passages. Movement three was an epic battle between the woodwind and upper strings, and provided menacing dramatics in contrast to previous movements. The piece concluded with a triumphant end, featuring energised and bold tutti sections from the orchestra. Upon applause, Bihlmaier rightly chose to highlight the talented young female French horn player, who received extra loud cheers from the audience.
Despite cheers and applause, it was not difficult to notice the smaller audience compared to previous performances in the international concert season. Tonight’s showcase demonstrated that timeless female classical composers should not be compared to male composers like Beethoven; instead, we should treat their work as talent in its own right. Making female composers a more integral part of concert programmes throughout the year, not just on International Women’s Day, will ensure that bigger audiences can witness the unique gift that women bring to classical music.
