Author Archives: John

J. S. Bach: Cantata No. 170, ‘Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust’; Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major; Cantata No. 35, ‘Geist und Seele wird verdwirret’. Iestyn Davies counter-tenor, The English Concert. Kristian Bezuidenhout harpsichord/director  The Proms is really a remarkable institution. How can it possibly be that about 3000 people should be milling around theContinue reading “Bach late night concert: RAH Proms. 25/8/23”

Julia Adolphe Makeshift Castle (European premiere); R. Strauss Death and Transfiguration; Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 in B flat major. Boston Symphony Orchestra – Andris Nelsons, conductor  Three months after seeing him conduct Mahler 8 in Leipzig, it was good to see Andris Nelsons looking healthier at this Prom than he did back then. He hadContinue reading “Boston Symphony Orchestra, Nelsons: R.Strauss, Prokofiev – RAH Proms. 25/8/23”

Judith Weir: Begin Afresh; world premiere; Schumann: Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, ‘Spring’ ; Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor. Christian Tetzlaff, violin; BBC Symphony Orchestra; Sakari Oramo, conductor  I hadn’t intended to go to this, though I thought it looked like a good Prom – however, for various reasons I can’t goContinue reading “BBC SO/ Oramo: Weir, Schumann, Elgar – RAH Proms 24/8/23”

György Kurtág Endgame (UK premiere). Frode Olsen, Hamm; Morgan Moody, Clov; Hilary Summers, Nell; Leonardo Cortellazzi,  Nagg; BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor. Victoria Newlyn, stage director This is an event that I really felt duty-bound to go to, without necessarily a huge amount of enthusiasm – but a new work by the lastContinue reading “Kurtág – Endgame: BBC SSO, Wigglesworth – RAH Proms 17/8/23”

Conductor, Dalia Stasevska; Original Director, Peter Hall; Revival Director and Original Choreographer, Lynne Hockney; Designer, John Bury; Revival Choreographer, Lauren Poulton; Lighting Designer, Paul Pyant; London Philharmonic Orchestra, Trinity Boys Choir. Puck, Oliver Barlow; Oberon, Tim Mead; Tytania, Liv Redpath; Lysander, Caspar Singh; Hermia, Rachael Wilson; Demetrius, Samuel Dale Johnson; Helena, Lauren Fagan; Quince, HenryContinue reading “Britten: Midsummer Night’s Dream – Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Glyndebourne. 8/8/23”

Sally Matthews, Blanche de la Force; Katarina Dalayman, Madame de Croissy, (Old Prioress); Golda Schultz, Madame Lidoine (New Prioress); Karen Cargill, Mother Marie of the Incarnation; Florie Valiquette, Sister Constance of St Denis; Fiona Kimm, Mother Jeanne of the Child Jesus; Paul Gay, Marquis de la Force; Valentin Thill, Chevalier de la Force; Vincent Ordonneau,Continue reading “Glyndebourne at the Proms – Poulenc, Dialogues of the Carmelites. RAH 7/8/23”

L. Boulanger, D’un matin de printemps; Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor; Walton, Symphony No. 1 in B flat minor. Alim Beisembayev, piano; Sinfonia of London, John Wilson conductor I don’t think – I need to check – that I’ve ever heard the Sinfonia of London live before. I was very struck byContinue reading “Rachmaninov/Walton – Sinfonia of London, Wilson: RAH Proms 6/8/23”

Jimmy López Bellido –  Perú negro; Rachmaninov – Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini; Walton, Belshazzar’s Feast. Yuja Wang, piano; Thomas Hampson,  baritone; BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Klaus Mäkelä conductor This was one of the first Proms to sell out  – the attraction being mainly Yuja Wang, and also some interest around KlausContinue reading “Bellido, Rachmaninov, Walton – BBC Symphony Orchestra, Mäkelä, Wang – RAH Proms 4/8/23”

City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra: Mahler Symphony no 5 in C minor Partly because of my volunteer role as a Welcomer at Sheffield Cathedral, partly because I am a trustee of an organisation connected to CSYO, and partly because it’s not a work I would associate necessarily with the skills and experience of a youthContinue reading “CSYO – Mahler – Sheffield Cathedral: 31/7/23”

Herrmann, Vertigo – Suite; Korngold, Violin Concerto; Prokofiev, Symphony No. 3 in C minor. Vadim Gluzman violin; BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gustavo Gimeno conductor The insertion of the Korngold concerto was a fairly late one – it was originally meant to be Mason Bates’ piano concerto, with Danil Trifonov playing the solo part – he howeverContinue reading “Korngold/Prokofiev – BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gimeno: RAH Proms 30/7/23”