The Aurora Orchestra returned to Nottingham with four outstanding but contrasting classics. They also gave a demonstration of their unique performance style...
The Aurora Orchestra has quite the reputation in classical circles for innovation. As the Royal Concert Hall programme says, it ‘tore up the rule book and made its name worldwide as a boundary-breaking ensemble.’
So, what did they bring to Nottingham on this chilly November Tuesday night? Wisely, they opened with Edward Elgar’s famous Introduction and Allegro. Instantly recognisable, the audience was hooked from the get-go. Written for the string orchestra, the piece premiered in 1905 and has been massively popular in the UK ever since. The Aurora was off to a good start.
Following this, the brass, woodwind, and percussion players filed dutifully on stage for the remainder of the evening. Guest violinist, Chloe Hanslip joined the fun too, for Prokofiev’s virtuosic Second Violin Concerto. And she was superb, belting out the notes with perfection and aplomb. The composition takes its initial inspiration from Russian folk music. By the time we reach the last movement, Prokofiev is summoning up Spanish castanets. A nod perhaps to its premier in Madrid in 1935.
After the intermission, concertgoers had a taste of that innovation for which the Aurora are justly famed. Namely, the musicians came back on stage without chairs, without music stands and with definitely no sheet music. Unlike any other symphonic orchestra you can think of, they played on their feet and from memory. This rule-breaking freed the musicians from the furniture and from turning pages, which they found liberating. They threw themselves into their respective performances with a gusto that was a pleasure to behold
His control of the orchestra was plain to see
The other items on the programme included Mozart’s overture to his beloved opera, The Marriage of Figaro. Composed in 1786 it still tops the polls today as an all-time great opera. Indeed, Mozart was paid 450 florins for writing it, three times his miserable annual salary as a court musician.
The fourth entry was Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 ‘Italian’. Mendelssohn began work on this while touring Italy and his aim was to evoke the atmosphere of the Italian countryside. It premiered in 1833 in London, although he was unhappy with it himself and worked up another version. Opinion is divided about which is better, with most conductors opting for the original score. As the Aurora did on this occasion.
Four great classical works, four great renditions from Aurora. And all under the baton of Nicholas Collon, Principal Conductor at the Aurora Orchestra. His control of his players and the audience at ease from the first note.
Although the auditorium did not quite manage a standing ovation, the applause was rapturous and prolonged. Clearly, the Aurora Orchestra lifted our hearts, took our minds of everyday issues, and put a spring back into our step. Not bad for a chilly November Tuesday.
The Aurora Orchestra played at the Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday, 25 of November 2025.
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