Gérard Grisey - Les Espaces Acoustiques

London Sinfonietta and RAM Manson Ensemble, conducted by George Benjamin
October 14th 2008 :: Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre, London 

Musicalpointers.co.uk
Classical Concert Highlights of 2008, a Personal Top Ten from Julie Williams
”A very distinguished performance from Paul Silverthorne in the pivotal solo viola part of that distinctive and demanding work. “

The Times - Geoff Brown 
”Paul Silverthorne's superb viola started us off, expanding a tiny phrase until it was almost birdsong.”

Musicomh.com - Anne Ozorio
”Grisey himself said such progressions were specially difficult on viola, so Silverthorne's virtuosity deserves much praise. Even when the viola plays alone, though, there's a “réponse fantomatique” with the other instruments. The viola is the heartbeat, they are the echo, unheard at first.”

Musicalcriticism.com - Liam Cagney
”To a hall packed to capacity (a rare instance in a venue this size for contemporary music) Benjamin and the players came onstage and took their places, before the lights in the hall dimmed to Silverthorne, alone far stage right under a spotlight. He began the repeated lyrical motion whose process of development provides the material of Prologue. The audience was totally engaged as the figure gradually became more complex with the piece's progression, the climax arriving in a frenzy of glissando and noise as the bow was dragged slowly and harshly across the strings over the instrument's neck.
The end of the piece saw the lights rise and Silverthorne move slowly back across the stage to join the ensemble, still intoning on his instrument.”