Author Archives: John

John Findon, Peter Grimes; Elizabeth Llewellyn, Ellen Orford; Simon Bailey, Balstrode; Christine Rice, Auntie; Clive Bayley, Swallow; Alex Otterburn, Ned Keene; ??, Bob Boles; Anne-Marie Owens, Mrs Sedley; David Soar, Hobson; Ronald Samm, Reverend Horace Adams; Cleo Lee-McGowan, First Niece; Ava Dodd, Second Niece. Conductor, Martyn Brabbins I missed the raved-about production of Peter Grimes atContinue reading “Britten – Peter Grimes: ENO – 6/10/23”

Director, Christof Loy; Designer,Christian Schmidt; Lighting Designer, Olaf Winter; Choreographer, Otto Pichler. Conductor, Mark Elder. Donna Leonora, Sondra Radvanovsky; Don Alvaro, Brian Jagde; Don Carlo Di Vargas, Aleksei Isaev; Padre Guardiano, Evgeny Stavinsky; Preziosilla, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya; Fra Melitone, Rodion Pogossov; Mastro Trabuco, Carlo Bosi; Marquis of Calatrava, James Creswell; Curra, Chanáe Curtis; Alcalde, Thomas D.Continue reading “Verdi – La Forza del Destino: ROHCG – 27/9/23”

Georgia Malcom, soprano; Michael Bell, tenor; Florence Stoertz, baritone; Juliette Mey, contralto. Sebastian Wybrew, piano. This lunchtime song recital was very enjoyable  Led by Dame Felicity Lott and a distinguished French singer, Francois Le Roux. the Wigmore French Song Exchange brings together young artists of different nationalities to work on French song under the guidanceContinue reading “Wigmore French Song Exchange: Wigmore Hall, 27/9/23”

Director, Barrie Kosky; Set Designer, Rufus Didwiszus; Costume Designer. Victoria Behr; Lighting Designer. Alessandro Carletti. Wotan, Christopher Maltman; Alberich, Christopher Purves; Loge, Sean Panikkar; Fricka, Marina Prudenskaya; Freia, Kiandra Howarth; Donner, Kostas Smoriginas; Froh, Rodrick Dixon; Mime, Brenton Ryan; Fasolt, Insung Sim; Fafner, Soloman Howard; Woglinde, Katharina Konradi; Wellgunde, Niamh O’Sullivan; Flosshilde. Marvic Monreal; Erda,Continue reading “Wagner – Das Rheingold: ROHCG – 26/9/23”

The English Concert; Tim Mead, Amadigi; Hilary Cronin, Oriana; Mary Bevan, Melissa; Hugh Cutting,  Dardano. Kristian Bezuidenhout, Director (Cribbing mainly from Wikipedia), Handel composed Amadigi in 1715 for Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington. The work was premiered in London at the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket on 25 May 1715. Exceptional care was lavishedContinue reading “Handel – Amadigi di Gaula: St Martin’s in the Fields 21/9/23”

Victoria Poleva –  White Interment (UK premiere); Alban Berg – Violin Concerto; Richard Strauss –  Eine Alpensinfonie. Bayerische Staatsorchester, Vladimir Jurowski conductor; Vilde Frang violin I have never seen a live performance of the Alpine Symphony before, so I was looking forward to this concert a lot. I had missed going to what must have been a veryContinue reading “Bayerische Staatsorchester, Jurowski – Poleva/Berg/R.Strauss: Barbican 18/9/23”

Iúnó Connolly; Andrew Henley; Philip Sheffield, Guy Beynon, Aaron Kendall; Ellen Mawhinney; Sarah Chae. Thomas Blunt, Conductor; Jeremy Gray, Stage Director How best to describe this experience? It was like being invited to have dinner with an uncle of one of your oldest and best friends. You accept willingly and at first you are astonishedContinue reading “At the Venice Fair: Salieri (UK premiere run). St Johns Smith Square, Bampton Classical Opera 13/9/23”

Alice Coote, Cassandra; Michael Spyres, Aeneas; Paula Murrihy, Dido; Lionel Lhote, Coroebus; Adèle Charvet, Ascanius; Alex Rosen, Narbal; Ashley Riches, Panthus; Beth Taylor, Anna. Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. Conductor Dinis Sousa After the only staged performance I’ve seen of this work so far (see July 2022 entry in this blog) in Munich, whichContinue reading “Berlioz Les Troyens: ORR, RAH Proms 3/9/23”

Carlos Simon Four Black American Dances (European premiere); Stravinsky Petrushka (1947 version); Gershwin Piano Concerto in F major; Ravel La valse. Jean-Yves Thibaudet Piano, Boston Symphony Orchestra. Andris Nelsons conductor This was a well-planned programme, centred around dance and jazz rhythms, as well as framing two American pieces in each half with two Diaghilev ballets,Continue reading “Boston Symphony Orchestra: Stravinsky, Gershwin, Ravel – RAH Proms. 26/8/23”

Wagner, transcr. Demers The Mastersingers of Nuremberg – Prelude to Act 1; Rachel Laurin Prelude and Fugue in G major; (World premiere); J. S. Bach, arr. Dupré  Cantata No. 146, ‘Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal’ – Sinfonia; Coleridge-Taylor Three Impromptus; Reger Chorale Fantasia on ‘Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott’; Still Elegy, transcr. Demers RomeoContinue reading “Afternoon organ recital, RAH Proms 26/8/23”