Bristol Classical Players celebrates 15 years in 2025, marking the occasion with a special series of concerts – showcasing the enduring mastery of Beethoven’s Symphonies. We hear from the orchestra’s conductor Tom Gauterin….
What better way to celebrate and reflect upon 15 incredible years of orchestral music from local legends Bristol Classical Players than to revisit the transcendental, playful symphonies from one of music’s masters? Well, that’s exactly what’s in store for audiences attending one of the four remaining concerts in the collective’s BEETHOVEN+ series, which will take our ears and imaginations on a soaring journey through seven of the composer’s Symphonies – plus a special performance of new work by a selection of specially-chosen composers from the Bristol area.
How does it feel to be celebrating 15 years of BCP and what are you most proud of?
The first thing to say is that I’m very glad we’re still here! The last 10 years have not been easy for arts organisations. Moreover, though, I’m delighted by how well the orchestra has progressed and what we’ve achieved over that time. When we started, the aim was to see if a non-professional group could deliver exciting, high-grade performances on limited rehearsal time. Last summer, we played Beethoven’s 9th more or less flat out at the first rehearsal, which was a sign of how far we’ve come.
I think we have certainly done that, but I’d never have imagined we would also have attracted world-class soloists of the calibre of Sir Stephen Hough and Nicola Benedetti. We’ve also managed to establish a base in Cheltenham, playing there twice a year, which is very hard for non-professional orchestras to do away from their ‘home’ audience.
On top of that, we’ve had great success in working alongside Bristol Phoenix Choir and Bristol Cabot Choir to perform some major choral works – Mahler 2, Verdi’s Requiem and (last year) Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. Every one of those has been a truly memorable occasion for both participants and audiences.
It’s a great privilege to conduct an orchestra like this, and I’m hugely grateful to and inspired by the musicians I’m lucky enough to work with. Everyone is always keen to go further, to do things that bit better – and I hope the results speak for themselves.
What was behind the decision to also feature new work by a composer from the Bristol area at each concert?
One of the great things about Beethoven is that his entire approach to music was to throw the rules away and do it his way. If a Beethoven performance doesn’t feel like an exploration, or fresh in some way (even though these are among the most played pieces ever), chances are you’re doing it wrong! It was in that spirit of risk taking, and of finding new challenges, that we felt we wanted to showcase new pieces by composers who might not otherwise get an airing. Any aspiring composer (and many more established ones) will tell you how hard it is to get their music performed, and it seemed a waste of an opportunity not to play these works alongside well-loved pieces that will draw a crowd.
Having sifted the initial suggestions, I basically tried to find some element of each new work that matched a feature of each Beethoven symphony. For instance, Liam O’Connell’s piece has elements of obsessive repetition which makes it a good match for Beethoven’s No.7, while George Owen’s is built on tunes from the countryside – a perfect partner for the Pastoral (6th) symphony.
What most excites you about revisiting Beethoven’s symphonies in 2025, and why do you think they enjoy such enduring popularity?
It’s a great chance to see how far we’ve come; the orchestra began with these works, so for a big anniversary year it felt like a good chance to revisit them. Plus everyone loves playing them! Personally, I think it’s the sense of struggle and triumph in Beethoven that appeals most of all; there is no more life-enhancing music out there. The sheer energy the music projects is unequalled, and in fact we were discussing the other day just how physically demanding they are to perform. It’s impossible to play this music half-heartedly, so if you see 50 worn-out musicians by the end you know we’ve done a proper job.
Do you and the players have a favourite movement within any of the symphonies?
Ooh… so hard to choose! Every symphony has highlights, and with so many to pick from consensus is tricky. Two that often come up are the slow not-quite-funeral-march movement of No. 7 (used to great effect in The Kings Speech), and the choral finale of the 9th (the Ode to Joy). For me, though, the finale of the 5th takes a lot of beating. As the culmination of the darkness-to-light journey that begins with the famous ‘da-da-da-DAAAA’, this gleeful C major march and electric conclusion are impossible not to enjoy and be moved by.
This concert series is a rare chance to see all nine Beethoven Symphonies live in a short time frame, so if people want to enjoy that journey we’d all be very pleased to see them more than once.
Upcoming concerts in the BEETHOVEN+ series include:
• 8 March, 7.30pm at St George’s Bristol: Dream Sequence: A Life
on Repeat by Liam O’Connell, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Op
36 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Op 92
• 18 May, 7.30pm St George’s Bristol: George Owen’s Worcestershire
Rhapsody, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Op 68 and Beethoven’s
Symphony No. 8 in F Op 93
• 21 June, 7.30pm at The Victoria Rooms: New Work by Caleb
Kernaghan and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9
• 27 September, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol: Jon Trim’s Symphonia
Pandemica, Beethoven’s Symphony No 4 in B flat Op 60 and
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor Op 67
For more information and tickets, visit bristolclassicalplayers.com. All photos courtesy of Bristol Classical Players
