Miloš Magic

MILOŠ KARADAGLIC. Photo credit Lars Borges.

Miloš Karadaglić with Johnny Cohen and the Arcangelo Ensemble, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry. For one night only, Saturday 9 March 2024.

Review by Ann Cee 

Miloš Karadaglić with Johnny Cohen and the Arcangelo Ensemble worked wonders with their original renderings of pieces from the Baroque period.  Time travelling the audience back to sixteenth and seventeenth century country houses and courts, was accomplished with a sensitivity, warmth and energy that would be hard to beat.

Starting and finishing with Vivaldi was a lovely way to bookend the main programme and left plenty of scope to meander with Marcello, Boccherini, Bach and Handel in the first half and to wander with Pachelbel, Rameau, Handel, Weiss, and Purcell in the second.

I’m a bit of a fan of classical guitar and the Baroque period generally, so I was hoping for a delightful evening, but I experienced so much more.  Just by being in the presence of such musical genius and being immersed in live surround sound, it was possible to re-set brain and body without trying at all.  I first started to notice feeling physically transformed just as Bach’s “Chaconne” ended and the Handel Concerto began.  Thank you Bach and Miloš.

MILOŠ KARADAGLIC. Photo credit Esther Haase

Miloš chatted to the audience in the foyer during the interval and then came back even stronger with music that was out of this world.  Handel and Weiss left me with tears in my eyes and the musical marriage of Miloš on guitar and Cohen on harpsicord for Purcell’s “The Fairy Queen” pieces left me speechless. This was a true masterclass in musical partnership and expressive style.

The whole team offered Vivaldi for a first encore and then, after a number of curtain calls, Miloš was persuaded to provide a second encore which was instantly recognisable and in need of no introduction.  It was something of a segway from the Baroque theme of the evening but I’ll be honest, the poignant rendition of this world famous tune from popular culture seemed to turn me into a squishy jelly.  The music was poignant, beautiful, almost heart breaking.

Sadly, the second encore marked the end of the evening, but what a trip!

Tickets for other classical concerts at Warwick Arts Centre are available from:  https://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/orchestral-series-2023-24/