Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Kavakos, Dindo, Chailly, Barbican (Review)
For the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra’s second residency at the Barbican Centre Riccardo Chailly pulled focus on an entirely new sounding Brahms. Gone were all those bad performance practices, bad habits, from the early 20th century, gone was…
The Rape of Lucretia, Glyndebourne Touring Opera (Review)
Lucretia is quite literally pulled from the earth like a living artefact – and to the earth she will return. But when we arrive at the contentious final moments of Britten’s opera The Rape of Lucretia and…
Les Vepres Siciliennes, Royal Opera House (Review)
It started so thrillingly, director Stefan Herheim pulling off a theatrical coup which simultaneously fleshed out the opera’s back story whilst casting us body and soul into the gloriously opulent world of French opera-ballet. But as Verdi’s…
An audience with Dame Janet Baker, London Jewish Cultural Centre
PODCAST now available here Every now and again – but only very rarely – a professional engagement comes along that is so personal, so loaded with treasured associations, that it transcends all normal parameters and takes on…
A Conversation With GIANLUCA MARCIANO: Italian style and traditions
Bowing in at the London Coliseum for the latest revival of Anthony Minghella’s sumptuous staging of Puccini’s Madam Butterfly, conductor Gianluca Marciano is fast building a reputation as one of the most thoughtful and stylistically incisive of…
Britten “War Requiem”, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir, Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall (Review)
Britten’s innate theatricality shines through every single bar of his War Requiem. Atmosphere, drama, suspense, and high emotionalism is to a greater or lesser degree written into the piece (something which the naysayers always latch on to).…
Briefly… Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Wimbledon Theatre & Tour
The sound levels seemed to be in synch with the pine trees backdrop and went up and down like a whore’s knickers. In this the official press night for a lengthy stage tour of the much-loved MGM…
A Conversation With VASILY PETRENKO: His Shostakovich symphony cycle
As Vasily Petrenko’s much-lauded Shostakovich symphony cycle moves closer to completion we reach the renegade Fourth Symphony written in 1935 and driven underground by Stalin and his establishment naysayers. This astonishing piece – which remained unperformed for…
Briefly… Die Fledermaus, English National Opera
Eisenstein’s pocket watch (every seducer needs one) looms large and his wife Rosalinde is not having a good night. Recurring nightmares accost her and, wouldn’t you know, bats figure in every one. Is Christopher Alden really going all…
Briefly… Peter Grimes, London Philharmonic, Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall (Review)
I think we can now say with absolute certainty that Stuart Skelton is the pre-eminent Peter Grimes of the present time. Just as Peter Pears originated the role for a whole generation and Jon Vickers redefined it…
