Révolutionnaire et Romantique

Alfred, aged 4:  "It was amazing mum. I sat next to a lady and her daughter was playing the violin. You put it under your neck. You play the strings with one hand and she had a stick in the other hand and she was moving everything at the same time. She was really good."  

Review by Luca J. Imperiale

15th November, 2025

St Mary's Church, Horsham

Conductors: Steve Dummer (Beethoven) & Tom Sangster (Berlioz)
Leader: Rachel Ellis

Beethoven Symphony No.5

Berlioz Carnival Romain

While some may associate the name (Révolutionnaire et Romantique) with one of Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s orchestras, one may also wish to contemplate the narrative behind such a name. Two seemingly diametrically opposed yet fate-bound words, so perfectly embodied by two of the world’s greatest musical minds: Beethoven and Berlioz, the thematic centring of this afternoon’s concert with the Horsham Symphony Orchestra (HSO).

We started with Hector Berlioz our, so-called ‘Romantic,’ and his orchestral overture the ‘Roman Carnival’. Much like his famed programmatic work, ‘Symphonie Fantastique,’ the overture holds dense with evocative flourishes given by the winds and steers our imagination through the fictional carnival accompanied by the jaunty saltarello dance theme in the strings. It’s an, at times, relentless work, but was handled with great flare by the HSO under this year’s student conductor, Tom Sangster. This young conductor, who’s skills have been further honed through the orchestra’s fantastic and invaluable scheme, showed a good sense of control and whilst helping to keep the buoyant and spirited energy of the HSO proud and prominent.

One could not help but draw parallels this piece and the next in this afternoon's programme, Beethoven’s towering ‘fifth Symphony.’ It became self-evident that our previous perfect musical appetiser could have its lineage of inspiration traced directly to our so-called ‘Revolutionary.’ Everything, from the English Horn/Oboe solo cadenza moments in each work – both of which were played with much grace – to the intense rhythmic drive propelling the works forward throughout their course, were laid bare in the foundations of this indisputable masterpiece. 

Here it was Steve Dummer, principal conductor, who took the reins. A piece synonymous with classical music itself is a mighty label to confront but at no point did the orchestra disappoint. Setting off at impressive pace, the Horsham Symphony Orchestra delivered the opening theme with weight and considered seriousness, though in no way did this stop the perpetual movement and inevitable transformation of the motive from climaxing into its glorious final coda. 

Equally impressive however, was the sense of lyricism that the orchestra was able to bring out in the second movement. This movement of blissful serenity soon evolved through the tense and consumed third movement into the triumphant and, in Steve Dummer’s own words, glorious final movement, where much of the praise and attention goes to the brass and long-awaited trombones, supplying a substantial and gratifying oomph to the orchestral sound. 

A revolutionary work indeed and with Dummer’s passionate and devoted direction at the helm of this talented local orchestra, every ounce of Beethoven’s genius was able to be exhibited in the most magnificent fashion.