London Philharmonic/ Russian National Orchestras, Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall **** (Review)
The heady symbolism of the London Philharmonic and Russian National orchestras sitting cheek by jowl for the climax of Vladimir Jurowski’s War and Peace series was a powerful one and if, on occasions, the melding of these…
A Conversation With JULIAN OVENDEN
Two days after the world premiere of Finding Neverland at Leicester’s Curve Theatre I am backstage with its star Julian Ovenden for the story so far on this musical adaptation – Allan Knee (Book), Scott Frankel (Music),…
“Finding Neverland”, Curve Theatre, Leicester (Review)
Finding Neverland – the new musical adaptation of the much-admired Miramax movie – is already an affecting show; it could yet be a really special one. Allan Knee’s book (after David Magee’s screenplay) is the key, the…
A Conversation With LEIF OVE ANDSNES
Over the next four seasons the Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes will be embarking upon a “Beethoven Journey” that will clock up 150 performances in 55 cities all over the world. At the heart of this expedition…
London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choruses, Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall **** (Review)
Working backwards from Rachmaninov’s Choral Symphony “The Bells” Vladimir Jurowski’s latest confection in the new London Philharmonic season was an extraordinary resourceful and cleverly juxtaposed sequence of tintinnabulations, real and imagined, actual and suggested, celebratory and mournful…
CD Review – the live experience
It was good being back in Radio 3’s busy continuity suite this morning. It’s been a while. My CD Review contributions are more often than not scripted and pre-recorded these days and there really isn’t anything quite…
Leif Ove Andsnes – the Beethoven Journey
Tonight Leif Ove Andsnes plays the Beethoven First Piano Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Royal Festival Hall. As I write he’s probably just about now presenting the Chamber Music award at this…
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall *** (Review)
Opera with and without words, with and without voices – the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s new season began with a typically provocative piece of Vladimir Jurowski programming: an intriguing juxtaposition of the ripest Strauss and Zemlinsky affording dissatisfaction…
A Conversation With JOHN WILSON: ‘Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies’
After the John Wilson Orchestra’s stunning 2010 Prom celebration of Rodgers and Hammerstein I commented: “It was as close as we could imagine to being guests on the 20th Century Fox soundstage circa.1955…the sound, the style, the…
A new age for journalism
Off to meet with some NYU (New York University) students tomorrow. The topic? The online future of journalism. I have a thing or two to say about that having recently extricated myself from The Independent in favour…
