Concert Reviews

Summer Serenade, 9/7/09, St. James's Piccadilly, London:

"Given the plethora of arrangements of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition it is surprising that it has taken until now to appear in a transcription for string orchestra. Composer-conductor Jacques Cohen justifies his version on the grounds that it tackles the sustaining problems of the piano original while keeping the uniformity of its colour. It's certainly a virtuoso piece of work, full of invention and ingenuity. Particularly impressive were the Shostakovich-like angst that emerged in ‘Gnomus', the trudging lower strings of ‘Bydlo', the luminosity at the end of ‘Con mortuis...' and the opulence of broken chords for ‘The Great Gate of Kiev'.

The strings of the Isis Ensemble conveyed all the work's moods and characters with enthusiasm. ....The Isis Ensemble's concert had begun with a particularly fine performance of Elgar's Serenade for Strings, warm-hearted and handsomely textured."

Matthew Rye, The Strad, October 2009

Macmillan Charity Concert, 26/02/09, St. James's Piccadilly, London:

"Cohen's timing and control is excellent... The whole concert benefited from Cohen's clear vision of structure, disciplined passion and reliable direction... Music making on the highest level. It was a joy and a privilege to hear them."

Agnes Kory, www.musicalcriticism.com

Summer Serenade, 14/06/06, St. James's Piccadilly, London:

"The Isis Ensemble created a sumptuous sound, with conductor Jacques Cohen highly sensitive to the music's ebb and flow.

….The undoubted highlight was a brilliantly performed premiere of Cohen's own impressive Yigdal. The hymn taken from the Jewish liturgy betrays an exotic Eastern influence allowing for an attractive yet edgy harmony to underpin the captivating, mournful melody that infuses the 13-part string instrumentation. While the texturing often reminded one of Lutoslawski, Cohen has developed an individual voice, and the piece received an enthusiatic reception."

Joanne Talbot, The Strad, September 2006