Reviews
"Between Two Waves of the Sea is a tough assignment for any conductor, and Sakari Oramo's continued indisposition could have been disastrous. However, former CBSO violinist Michael Seal – who conducted the pre-recorded component earlier this year and whose work across the Midlands has been widely praised – was on hand to direct a confident account which conveyed the piece's diversity and overall coherence to telling effect."
Classical Source
"What made it so satisfying was Seal's control of structure and texture"
David Hart, Birmingham Post
"Birmingham Town Hall has been the venue for countless performances of Beethoven’s Symphony no.7 over the best part of two centuries, but not many of them will have been given with the vitality, energy and sheer rhythmic drive which we heard from the superlative CBSO Youth Orchestra Academy. In Michael Seal they have a conductor who has learned his trade from the inside and is therefore able to direct his charges with insight and understanding.The result in this most kinetic of symphonies was exhilarating, lively, vibrant and seamlessly flowing" Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post
"Seal, whose direction is always a model of clarity and precision, and his fellow musicians gave glowingly sympathetic and affectionate support to their colleagues."
David Hart, Birmingham Post
"Musical markings in the score were given special attention by conductor Michael Seal who seemed to be able to produce co-ordination between all the orchestra’s forces without apparent effort."
Worcester News
"For conductor Michael Seal, stepping in at short notice for an indisposed Sakari Oramo, it was a personal triumph. Seal's reading of this turbulent work ( Nielsen Symphony No.4 ) had a wonderful 'edge' to it, always questing and propelled by an innate sense of structure and dramatic purpose."
David Hart, Birmingham Post
"Every element in this jaw-droppingly brilliant group came together for Beethoven's Symphony no 4, lively, alert, bursting with energy, and, again, judiciously balanced under Seal's magisterial direction".
Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post
"..a fine example of Seal's capacity to make these capable players perform above their individual abilities in a band of much distinction." Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post
"Seal exhibited an extremely interesting personality, of powerful energy, in a varied program. The baroque concerto of Giuseppe Torelli, allowed great brilliancy for the Strings of the Filarmonica de Buenos Aires ... and the Cappricio Espagnol by Rimski-Korsakov was delivered with great colour and vigour by the whole orchestra."
hostnews.com, Argentina
Totally in control of orchestra and score, it was one of the finest things Seal has accomplished in his relatively short career, demonstrating a masterly grasp of atmosphere, sonority and structure which the CBSO responded to with stunning alacrity, effulgence and attention to detail.
( Vaughan Williams A London Symphony )
David Hart, Birmingham Post
The concert began with the delicious and "fairylike" Overture to “ A Midsummer Night's Dream", Op. 21, the music that the composer wrote to accompany the comedy by Shakespeare. The Philharmonic fulfilled a subtle and dynamic interpretation of this gorgeous music directed by Michael Seal. Precise and musical, Seal contributed to this tribute of Mendelssohn in the best way, accompanying the soloist, Xavier Inchausti, in the Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 and in a luminous, agile and colorful reading of the Symphony N° 4, (Op. 90).
hostnews.com, Argentina
After all the excitement of high profile visitors and exotic repertoire in recent CBSO concerts this afternoon event featured a programme that might have looked a bread and butter affair, but not a bit of it. When standard works are recreated with care and excitement in performances such as these, we are reminded of what made us love them in the first place.
Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony was riveting. In the mysterious introduction, the string phrases rose and fell with generous room for breath between. The ensuing Allegro agitato was true to its word, the storms splendidly tempestuous. The scherzo's Assai vivace marking was taken literally, too, skirling away at impressive speed. The slow movement was as lovingly contoured as the galop of the finale was tautly controlled, the chugging horns underpinning the elfin brilliance of woodwind and strings.
In Mozart's third violin concerto, the young British violinist Jack Liebeck was alert to every nuance of rhythm and phrasing. He gave the courtly gestures a sweet toned chamber delivery, and his finely shaded playing and precise intonation was a joy to hear. So too the introspective poise of the second movement before the bucolic high jinks of the finale.
Michael Seal is well aware of the dynamic contrasts this hall makes possible, and he made the most of them in Beethoven's Leonora No. 3 in a performance of strength and power. Full of forward thrust and momentum, this was taken at a blistering pace with the concluding section particularly exciting, with terrific ensemble and attack in the string scales.
I can't think of a better way to spend a grey and wet afternoon than sitting in Symphony Hall being warmed by playing of this calibre.
John Gough , Birmingham Post
The superb City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted with considerable artistry by Michael Seal, performed to a capacity audience for this final event in the 80th Anniversary celebrating the Malvern Festival.
The ‘Hebrides Overture' by Mendelssohn flowed atmospherically with aesthetic strings and woodwind overlapping, brass adding colour. Thrilling changes of tempi and dynamics and some lovely fragments of cantabile melody were noteworthy.
Guy Johnston, young in years, but mature as a musician, was an eloquent soloist in Elgar's ‘Cello Concerto', his interpretation charged with painful emotion. The glorious tones of his cello sang mellifluously throughout its' range, lingering and poignant and slower sometimes, especially in the Adagio, than is often the case; this added to the spiritual anguish. The CBSO empathized totally.
Beethoven's ‘Pastoral Symphony' conjured up a vista of unadulterated joy! The orchestra sparkled as it relished the rural idyll. Strings were expressive as water in the brook bubbled along or woodwind especially flutes, imitated bird-song, brass was potent and a solo horn sounded as a huntsman. Low strings emulated thunder rumbling and eventually radiant serenity prevailed before a blazing climax. The CBSO and Michael Seal were magnificent.
Jill Hopkins , Malvern Gazette
