London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir, Nézet-Séguin, Royal Festival Hall
Bruckner’s unfinished final symphony – the 9th – poses many questions, none more perplexing than what might have been in terms of its absent finale. There are those who insist that the great Catholic symphonist had completely…
A Conversation With STING: Symphonicities
The location is Sting‘s beachside house in Malibu the morning after the night before: another night, another venue – the Hollywood Bowl – another three-hour concert of his songs. That’s concert with a capital “C” because this…
Philharmonia Orchestra, Davis, Royal Festival Hall
The occasion was Delius’ 150th birthday but more broadly it was a celebration of Englishness. Vaughan Williams’ lark ascended once more, the Philharmonia’s concert master Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay effecting the transfiguration of song into mystic musing with elegantly…
Strauss “Der Rosenkavalier”, English National Opera
For those of us who believe (and don’t we all) that Octavian should end up with his true love – as opposed to his “fairy tale” romance – and live out his days with the Feldmarschallin, Maria…
Mozart “Don Giovanni”, Royal Opera House
There is hell-fire enough at the close of Francesca Zambello’s 2002 staging of Don Giovanni to consume not just the Don but the entire production. Not such a bad idea, I found myself thinking, as the Commendatore’s…
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall
As curator of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s ongoing Prokofiev series Vladimir Jurowski has striven to highlight the paradoxes which serve to make him the most contradictory of composers. He’s fielding oddities, he’s bowling googlies – none more…
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vedernikov, Royal Festival Hall
The London Philharmonic Orchestra’s intriguing new Prokofiev series is entitled “Man of the People?” and the enigma is all in the question mark. Beginning at the end with the last of his symphonies, the 7th, was far…
London Symphony Orchestra, Pappano, Barbican Hall
It was almost as if the London Symphony Orchestra had enjoyed advance notice of Antonio Pappano’s well-deserved Knighthood in the New Year’s Honours list. The all-English programme made for a stylish celebration, Sir Antonio (a slight incongruity…
National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Daniel, Barbican Hall
You’d expect the teenagers of the National Youth Orchestra to have some good moves but the opening and closing items of their winter concert took us all the way to the club floor and back again. I’m…
A Conversation With MARK ELDER
The label has always prided itself on its sense of style, its balance of head and heart with regard to casting. Stars have been established from these recordings, operas restored to their rightful place at the core…
