Author Archives: John

R. Strauss, Die Schweigsame Frau, Thielemann, Staatsoper, Berlin, 19/7/25

Conductor, Christian Thielemann; Production: Jan Philipp Gloger; Design, Ben Baur; Costumes: Justina Klimczyk; Lighting: Tobias Krauß;  Video: Leonard Wölfl; Choreography: Florian Hurler; Sir Morosus: Peter Rose; His housekeeper, Iris Vermillion; Barber Cutting Beard: Samuel Hasselhorn; Henry Morosus: Siyabonga Maqungo; Aminta, his wife: Brenda Rae; Isotta: Evelin Novak; Carlotta: Rebecka Wallroth; Morbio: Dionysios Avgerinos; Vanuzzi: ManuelContinue reading “R. Strauss, Die Schweigsame Frau, Thielemann, Staatsoper, Berlin, 19/7/25”

Ning Feng, Wigmore Hall 16/7/25

Ning Feng, violin; Yeol Eum Son, piano. Stravinsky, Divertimento from The Fairy’s Kiss; Alfred Schnittke, Violin Sonata No. 1; Szymanowski, 3 Paganini Caprices Op. 40; Prokofiev, Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Op. 94bis This was another of those concerts I would never have made the effort to go to specially but went because IContinue reading “Ning Feng, Wigmore Hall 16/7/25”

Poulenc/Bernstein. Buxton Festival, Buxton Opera House, 15/7/24

Iwan Davies Conductor, Daisy Evans Director, Loren Elstein Designer, Jake Wiltshire Lighting Designer. CAST – Trouble in Tahiti: Charles Rice – Sam, a businessman; Hanna Hipp, Dinah, his wife; La voix humaine – Allison Cook, Elle This was an absorbing evening which I very much enjoyed. The conductor Iwan Davies, and the director Daisy Evans,Continue reading “Poulenc/Bernstein. Buxton Festival, Buxton Opera House, 15/7/24”

Beethoven etc. Wigmore Soloists. Buxton Festival, St John’s Church, 15/7/24

F Berwald Grand Septet in B flat major. C Nielsen Serenata in Vano. L van Beethoven Septet in E Flat, Op. 2 Wigmore Soloists is intended to be a new super-group of chamber music players, led by the clarinettist, Michael Collins. It clearly has a flexible group of players – two of the musicians inContinue reading “Beethoven etc. Wigmore Soloists. Buxton Festival, St John’s Church, 15/7/24”

R. Strauss, Salome. LSO, Pappano. Barbican, 13/7/25

London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Antonio Pappano conductor. Asmik Grigorian, Salome; Michael Volle, Jochanaan; Violeta Urmana, Herodias; Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Herod; Niamh O’Sullivan, Page of Herodias; John Findon, Narraboth This was my third Salome in 5 months, which is a bit bonkers really, even though it is a wonderful score. This had the attractions of being: ThisContinue reading “R. Strauss, Salome. LSO, Pappano. Barbican, 13/7/25”

Handel, Semele, ROHCG. 30/6/25

Conductor, Christian Curnyn. Semele, Pretty Yende; Jupiter, Ben Bliss; Cadmus/Somnus, Brindley Sherratt; Athamas, Carlo Vistoli; Juno, Alice Coote; Ino, Niamh O’Sullivan; Iris, Marianna Hovanisyan. Director, Oliver Mears; Designer, Annemarie Woods; Lighting designer, Fabiana Piccioli; Movement Director; Sarah Fahie This was the first night of a new production at ROHCG.  It has been my greatest musical pleasureContinue reading “Handel, Semele, ROHCG. 30/6/25”

Evgeny Kissin, piano. Barbican, 25/6/25

Bach Partita No 2;  Chopin Nocturne No 1, Op 27, Nocturne No 2, Op 21, Scherzo No 4. Shostakovich Piano Sonata No 2, Prelude and Fugue in D-Flat Major, Prelude and Fugue in D-Minor I wanted to go to this recital partly because Kissin is a very significant pianist, and I was keen to hearContinue reading “Evgeny Kissin, piano. Barbican, 25/6/25”

Late Night Song Recital, Wigmore Hall 20/6/25 10pm

Songs by Schumann, Britten, Copland, Dove and others, performed by Nicky Spence tenor; Clare Presland mezzo-soprano; Andrew Matthews-Owen piano; Robert Rinder presenter This was an interesting programme, centred around songs from Schumann’s song cycle Frauenbliebe und Leben. Nicky Spence I know as an ENO Siegmund and a fine tenor in several of the Janacek operasContinue reading “Late Night Song Recital, Wigmore Hall 20/6/25 10pm”

Song Recital, Wigmore Hall 20/6/25 7pm

Benjamin Appl baritone; Simon Lepper piano. Songs by Schubert, Kurtag, Brahms, Liszt and Eisler This was a recital I was looking forward to as a challenge – to explore works new to me. Appl, a much-praised young German singer, was the last student Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau took on, and so Appl has set up a European tourContinue reading “Song Recital, Wigmore Hall 20/6/25 7pm”