Author Archives: John

Conductor, Oksana Lyniv; Director, Dmitri Tcherniakov; Stage design, Dmitri Tcherniakov; Costumes, Elena Zaytseva; Lighting, Gleb Filshtinsk; Dramaturgy; Tatiana Werestchagina: Daland, Georg Zeppenfeld; Senta, Elisabeth Teige; Erik, Eric Cutler; Mary, Nadine Weissmann; Der Steuermann, Attilio Glaser; Der Holländer, Thomas J. Mayer, Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra I reviewed this earlier in the year, in late MarchContinue reading “Der Fliegende Hollander, Bayreuth Festival: 27/8/22“

Fricka – Christa Mayer; Siegmund – Klaus Florian Vogt; Hunding – Georg Zeppenfeld; Wotan – Tomasz Konieczny; Sieglinde – Lise Davidsen; Brünnhilde – Iréne Theorin; Valentin Schwarz (director), Andrea Cozzi (designs), Andy Besuch (costumes), Konrad Kuhn (dramaturgy). Reinhard Traub (lighting), Luis August Krawen (video), Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Cornelius Meister (conductor There was a good exampleContinue reading “Die Walküre, Bayreuth Festival: 26/8/22“

Wotan – Egils Silins; Donner – Raimund Nolte; Froh – Attilio Glaser; Loge – Daniel Kirch; Fricka – Christa Mayer; Freia – Elisabeth Teige; Erda – Okka von der Damerau; Alberich – Olafur Sigurdarson; Mime – Arnold Bezuyen; Fasolt – Jens-Erik Aasbø; Fafner – Wilhelm Schwinghammer; Woglinde – Lea-ann Dunbar; Wellgunde – Stephanie Houtzeel; FlosshildeContinue reading “Das Rheingold, Bayreuth Festival: 25/8/22“

Anton Webern, Passacaglia, Op. 1; Six Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6 (revised version, 1928); Claude Debussy, Ariettes oubliées arr. Brett Dean; Johannes Brahms, Symphony No. 2 in D major: Siobhan Stagg, soprano; Australian World Orchestra, Zubin Mehta, conductor This was a very enjoyable concert. I only went to it because I had an evening toContinue reading “Webern, Debussy, Brahms: Australian World Orchestra, Zubin Mehta, Proms – RAH 23/8/22”

Bartók The Miraculous Mandarin – suite; Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major; Hannah Eisendle Heliosis (UK premiere); Dvořák Symphony No. 7 in D minor: Benjamin Grosvenor, piano; Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, conductor I went to this concert primarily because I’d never heard the Vienna RSO live before, as far as IContinue reading “Bartok, Prokofiev, Eisendle, Dvorak: Vienna RSO, Alsop – RAH, 13/8/22“

Jean Sibelius, Tapiola; Franz Liszt, Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major’ Richard Strauss, Ein Heldenleben: Yuja Wang, piano; Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Mäkelä – conductor Despite Norman Lebrecht’s lurid warnings (and I don’t deny his underlying thesis about the diminishing market for classical music) the Proms seems to be doing pretty well inContinue reading “Sibelius, Liszt, R Strauss – Oslo Philharmonic, Yuja Wang, Klaus Makela. RAH, 12/8/22“

Doreen Carwithen, Bishop Rock; Grace Williams, Sea Sketches; Ralph Vaughan Williams, A Sea Symphony (Symphony No. 1): Elizabeth Llewellyn, soprano; Jacques Imbrailo, baritone; BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC National Chorus of Wales, BBC National Orchestra of Wales; Andrew Manze, conductorMy first Prom of the year….! After Norman Lebrecht’s dire warnings about ticket sales, I was wonderingContinue reading “Carwithen, Williams, Vaughan Williams: BBC NOW, Manze. RAH, 27/7/22”

Box-office leak: 3 in 4 tickets to the BBC Proms are going unsold – SlippediscSlippedisc | The inside track on classical music and related cultures, by Norman Lebrecht This was the shock-horror headline being put out by Normal Lebrecht’s Slipped Disc website this morning.  Although Norman enjoys his shock and horror, I am sure hisContinue reading “3 in 4 tickets for the Proms are going unsold”

Conductor, Lothar Koenigs; Production, David Marton; Set Design, Christian Friedländer; Costume Design, Pola Kardum; Lighting, Henning Streck.  Die Gräfin, Diana Damrau; Der Graf, Michael Nagy; Flamand, Pavol Breslik; Olivier, Vito Priante; La Roche, Kristinn Sigmundsson; Die Schauspielerin Clairon, Tanja Ariane Baumgartner; Monsieur Taupe, Toby Spence I have never heard Capriccio live and I thought thisContinue reading “R.Strauss, Capriccio – Bayerische Staatsoper / Prinzregentenstheater, Munich 17/07/22”

Christian Gerhaher, Anna Lucia Richter, Pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz: Wolf, Italienische liederbuche. My planning for this Munich trip was done a long time ago and at one point I wasn’t going to the Sunday performance of Capriccio. Hence I ended up not planning in advance anything to do on the Friday and Saturday evenings. On theContinue reading “Wolf song recital, Bayerische Staatsoper, Nationaltheater, Munich 15/07/22”