Orlando, Opera Australia
“Orchestra Victoria, under Benjamin Bayl… creates a stream of lyrical music-making.”
– John Slavin, The Age, Melbourne
“Under the baton of Benjamin Bayl, the glorious tones of Emma Matthews and Tobias Cole make for a winning combination.”
– The Age A2, Melbourne
“The superb look, the taut orchestra conducted by Benjamin Bayl and the beauty of Handelʼs score make this an intriguing production.”
– MCV
“Conductor Benjamin Bayl is supportive of his singers and Orchestra Victoria brings this exquisite baroque music to life.”
– Sunday Herald
“Talented young Australian conductor Benjamin Bayl leads Orchestra Victoria in this show dedicated to Richard Hickox.”
– Herald Sun
“Musically it is utterly gorgeous… that orchestra just knocked me out.”
– www.onstagemelbourne.com.au
“Orchestra Victoria were in excellent form, led by conductor Benjamin Bayl at a fair clip… it’s remarkable how big a punch this production packs.“
– Patricia Maunder, artshub.com.au
Ariodante, English Touring Opera
“Ariodante, conducted by Benjamin Bayl, held us in thrall… Try not to miss this touring delight.”
– Geoff Brown, The Times (4 stars)
“This is a thrilling evening in which vocal glories are matched by outstanding playing from ETOʼs baroque orchestra. Or, more accurately, thatʼs the excellent Benjamin Bayl, whose conducting is marked by flawless tempo choices and a precise ear for stage-pit balance… The three short hours of ETOʼs Ariodante are sheer bliss.”
– www.whatsonstage.com
“Playing on period instruments, the ETO orchestra was skilfully conducted by Benjamin Bayl, whose tempi tended to be on the fast side but never lost momentum for a second. The orchestra produced some delightfully vibrant playing.“
–www.opera-britannia.com
“The baroque orchestra, beautifully controlled by conductor Benjamin Bayl, played with verve and precision… [There was] A great sense of empathy with the conductor, and tremendous rapport between pit and stage.“
– www.musicalcriticism.com
Arne’s “Judgment of Paris” with
Bampton Classical Opera at Wigmore Hall,
and Holywell Music Room, Oxford
“A golden apple and a few flirtatious glances aside, this was a concert performance but a pleasingly sung one, neatly directed from the harpsichord by Benjamin Bayl, which revelled in Arne’s dapper tunes, busy violin descants and sizzling coloratura.”
– Richard Morrison, The Times
“Conductor Benjamin Bayl deftly captured the character of the piece, inspiring vigorous playing from the period instrumental orchestra and drawing out the distinctive woodwind colourings in particular numbers. Tempi were well chosen and the recitatives sustained forward momentum. Once again, Bampton Classical Opera not only brought justly deserving but little known repertoire to a highly appreciative audience’s attention, but performed it with commitment, intelligence and significant musical accomplishment.”
– Opera Today
“The musical support was uniformly excellent; Benjamin Bayl proved to be an exponent of Baroque music par excellence, conducting with great flair and assurance. Characterised by some superb playing from the Bampton Classical Players, this was a jolly romp with some persuasive acting and splendid singing from the cast, which often had the audience in stitches.”
– MusicWeb International
“The period instrument orchestra, conducted from the harpsichord by Benjamin Bayl, complemented the singers perfectly. With the help of some lively, heartfelt singing from a splendid five-strong cast, the piece was brought to life.”
– The Oxford Times
Gluck’s Il Parnaso Confuso, South Bank Centre, London
“From the fortepiano, Benjamin Bayl led the small orchestra, with captivating instrumental invention and unaffected poise.”
– Andrew Porter, Opera Magazine
Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, Københavns Musikteater
“An intimate setting of this early opera classic seduces with live theatre and an effortless management of performance practice, with assured direction from Benjamin Bayl and his band of seven musicians who play lightly and precisely. A top hit.“
– Thomas Michelsen, Politiken
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio,
Symfoniorkester Norrlandsoperan
“An interpretation of both profundity and humility.”
– Västerbottens-Kuriren, Umeå
“A performance of the Christmas Oratorio with both subtlety and heart.”
– Folkbladet, Umeå
Handel’s Messiah,
Symfoniorkester Norrlandsoperan
“The engaging Benjamin Bayl led what will be remembered as a great musical event in the absolutely packed concert hall. The orchestra played with a transparent sound and high precision. Bayl seemed to make easy what may be perceived as hard, steering the choir with both firm and gentle hands, and giving the score full justice.”
– Västerbottens-Kuriren, Umeå
Handel’s Messiah,
Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias
“Bayl’s version sought a balance between the formal score and the more profound and tenderly personal nature of his message. For this, he revised issues like the tempi, the articulation and dynamics, in a version full of contrasts, with some moments of intimacy and others of vibrancy.”
– La nueva España
“Bayl conducted a historicist version, with some very attractive aspects, especially the implementation of the basso continuo, and the very contrasting sense of time.”
– El Comercio, Asturias
Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven programme,
Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias
“In an extremely beautiful and heartfelt performance, Bayl did not put a foot wrong… Haydn’s Symphony no.104 reached a new height of interpretation… A colourful and polished performance.”
– La nueva España
“Bayl sought surround sound stereo and dialogue, achieving clarity of phrasing, richness of colour and stylistic fidelity, sometimes imbued with a slight baroque. This fully caught on in the ‘London Symphony’, steeped in pre-romantic atmosphere, and especially in the last movement of folk-sounding colour…”
– El Comercio, Asturias
Aalborg Symphony Orchestra
“Schumann’s Spring Symphony caught fire and came to life… the melodic phrases were carried forward with effortless and unerring musicality.”
– Nordjyske Avis
Recording with Britten Sinfonia:
Hindemith “Kammermusik no.7″
with Daniel Hyde (Signum Classics)
“The triumph of this disc is an extremely exciting account of Hindemith’s first organ concerto, the 1927 Kammermusik No. 7 with its brass-heavy chamber orchestra, by turns brazen, beefy and baleful. Throughout, incisive rhythmic articulation and clear delineation of line allows the music’s essential vitality to come through with the greatest possible impact. Highly recommended — 5 stars.“
– BBC Music Magazine * * * * *
“the artfully chosen programme is played with suavity and tenderness.“
– The Independent
“bracing combination of organ and chamber ensemble … Hindemith at his bubbliest.“
– The Sunday Times
“This disc positively sparkles! With such intelligent and innovative programming, it is the ideal introduction to Hindemith’s organ music.“
– Gramophone
Il Mondo Della Luna, Iford & Cambridge Festivals
“Benjamin Bayl managed to find the heart of plenty of this music, some of which is pretty generic but which sometimes reaches into that proto-Schubert land where scoring, pathos and genuine soul find a still centre of great sweetness and depth.”
– Robert Thicknesse, Opera Now
“Under Benjamin Baylʼs baton, the orchestra of Opera East gave it their polished, virtuosic, all.”
– Hannah Nepil, Opera Now
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with David Garrett and
The RPO, Hampton Court Festival
“The eveningʼs classical indulgences began with a spirited performance of Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.3 and Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks — minus the actual fireworks due to high winds, but conductor Benjamin Bayl ensured that the music more than made up for it.“
– Sky Arts
Follow me on twitter
•
Find me on facebook
•
News feed (RSS)
*
•
Diary feed (RSS)
*
Website by Richard Sweeney • Content © 2010 by Benjamin Bayl • * What is an 'RSS feed'?