Author Archives: John

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conductor Robert Trevino : Gustav Mahler — Symphony No. 10 (arrangement by Deryck Cooke) Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla was meant to be the conductor for this concert but she pulled out a week before the event – as she had been conducting in Rome a few days earlier on May 13 andContinue reading “Mahler 10, CBSO, Leipzig Mahler Festival 21/5/23 8pm”

Organist: Michael Schönheit: Johann Sebastian Bach — Fantasia and Fugue in G minor BWV 542 (in the version by Karl Straube); Franz Schmidt — Chorale Prelude “Nun danket alle Gott”; Max Reger — Introduction and Passacaglia in D minor WoO IV/6; Franz Schmidt — Lento – Interlude I from the oratorio “The Book with SevenContinue reading “Gustav Mahler’s Contemporaries: Organ concert, St Thomas’ Church; Leipzig Mahler Festival 21/5/23 3pm”

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Myung-Whun Chung Conductor: Gustav Mahler — Symphony No. 5 It’s nearly two years since I last heard this work live – a moving occasion at the Proms in 2021 when a scratch orchestra of all the freelance musicians who had been out of work for the past 18 months, because of Covid,Continue reading “Mahler 5, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Amsterdam), Leipzig Mahler Festival 20/5/23 8pm”

Frank-Michael Erben violin, Anton Jivaev viola, Valentino Worlitzsch cello, Yulianna Avdeeva piano: Gustav Mahler — Quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello in A minor; Alfred Schnittke — Quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello in A minor; Johannes Brahms — Quartet No. 1 for piano, violin, viola and cello in G minor op. 25Continue reading “Chamber music: works by Mahler, Schnittke and Brahms; Leipzig Mahler Festival 20/5/23 3pm”

Munich Philharmonic, Tugan Sokhiev conductor, Christiane Karg soprano, Ekaterina Gubanova alto, Andreas Schager tenor: Gustav Mahler — Symphony No. 4 in G major; Gustav Mahler — Das Lied von der Erde Before the evening concert, I did a couple of things: When I bought my tickets, in October 2021, the evening concert was due toContinue reading “Mahler 4 / Das Lied von der Erde, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Leipzig Mahler Festival 19/5/23”

Mahler Symphony No 2 in C minor: Gewandhaus Orchestra, MDR Radio Choir, Andris Nelsons conductor, Ying Fang soprano, Gerhild Romberger mezzo-soprano Well, here I am in Leipzig with 11 days of concerts and talks all focused on Mahler (and some of his contemporaries). I am intending to have side trips to Eisenach (the Bach HouseContinue reading “Mahler 2, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig Mahler Festival 18/5/23”

Bach The Art Of Fugue, Contrapunctus 14; Beethoven Septet; Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor The programme for this afternoon concert was slightly re-arranged, so that the Bach was followed by the Brahms and with the Beethoven then in the 2nd half, Unfortunately, it was really the Brahms I had come to hear, and asContinue reading “Bach, Beethoven And Brahms; Kathryn Stott & Ensemble 360, Crucible Playhouse, Sheffield 15/5/23”

Francis Gush, Julius Caesar; Susanna Hurrell, Cleopatra; Alexander Chance, Tolomeo; Carolyn Dobbin, Cornelia;  Margo Arsane, Sesto; Edward Hawkins, Achilla; Kieron-Connor Valentine, Nireno . Orchestra, The Old Street Band, conducted by Sergey Rybin. Director, James Conway; Cordelia Chisholm, Designer I went to a performance of this in Manchester about 4 years, from Opera North. Other thanContinue reading “Handel – Giulio Cesare; ETO, Buxton Opera House, 11/5/23”

Conductor, André Callegaro; Orchestra, Early Opera Company; Arminio, Gabrielė Kupšytė; Tusnelda, Sarah Dufresne; Segeste, Josef Jeongmeen Ahn; Varus, Michael Gibson; Sigismondo, Isabelle Peters; Ramise, Kamilla Dunstan; Tullio, Kamohelo Tsotetsi. Director, Mathilda Du Tillieul Mcnicol; Set and Costume Designer, Noemi Daboczi; Lighting, D.M.Wood This opera is based on events surrounding the Germanic leader Arminius’ leadership ofContinue reading “Arminio, Handel: ROHCG Linbury Theatre; 06/05/23”

Falla La Vida Breve: Interlude and Dance; Bartók Violin Concerto No.2; Dobrinka Tabakova Earth Suite: Pacific; Stravinsky The Rite of Spring: Christian Reif conductor; Antje Weithaas, violin Oddly this is only the second time I have been to the Bridgewater Hall this season – I have been to the Barbican more often……I’m not quite sure why; I guess I amContinue reading “Falla, Bartok, Tabakova, Stravinsky: Halle, Reif, Bridgewater Hall, 20/4/23”