It’s been another extraordinary year for high quality classical music performances I’ve attended. These are my top ten performance highlights, in no particular order: 1. Mahler Symphony No 2: Wong, Halle, Bridgewater Hall 2. R.Strauss, Arabella: Runnicles, Deutsche Oper Berlin 3. Wagner, Die Walkure: Pappano,. ROHCG 4. R.Strauss, Die Liebe der Danae: Bayern Staatsoper, Schager/Bystrom/MaltmanContinue reading “Live concert and opera highlights I have been to in 2025”
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Turandot, Puccini – ROHCG – 18/12/25
Director, Andrei Șerban; Designer, Sally Jacobs; Lighting designer, F. Mitchell Dana; Conductor, Daniel Oren. Cast: Princess Turandot, Anna Netrebko; Calaf, Yusif Eyvazov; Liù, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha; Timur, Rafał Siwek; Ping, Simone Del Savio; Pang, Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono; Pong, James Kryshak; Emperor Altoum, Raúl Giménez; Mandarin, Ossian Huskinson I spent my day in London partly at myContinue reading “Turandot, Puccini – ROHCG – 18/12/25”
Ariodante, Handel – ROHCG – 17/12/25
Director, Jetske Mijnssen; Set designer, Etienne Pluss; Costume designer, Uta Meenen; Lighting designer, Fabrice Kebour; Conductor, Stefano Montanari. Cast: Ariodante, (Grace Durham replaced Emily D’Angelo); Ginevra, Jacquelyn Stucker; Dalinda, Elena Villalón; Polinesso, Christophe Dumaux; Lurcanio, Ed Lyon; King of Scotland, Peter Kellner; Odoardo, Emyr Lloyd Jones Yet another Handel opera I’ve (I think) not seenContinue reading “Ariodante, Handel – ROHCG – 17/12/25”
Partenope, Handel – ENO, 3/12/25
William Cole, Conductor; Christopher Alden, Director; Andrew Lieberman, Set Designer; Jon Morrell, Costume Designer; Adam Silverman, Lighting Designer. Nardus Williams, Partenope; Hugh Cutting, Arsace; Ru Charlesworth, Emilio; Jake Ingbar, Armindo; Katie Bray, Rosmira; William Thomas, Ormonte This Christopher Alden ENO production dates back to 2008 in a co-production with Opera Australia.. The production, set inContinue reading “Partenope, Handel – ENO, 3/12/25”
Reich, BBCPO, Currie – Bridgewater Hall, 29/11/25
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Colin Currie conductor. Steve Reich Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards; John Adams Frenzy (2023); Gabriella Smith f(x)=sin²x-1/x; Steve Reich The Four Sections I had missed two concerts focusing on Steve Reich in Manchester in recent years, one because of a train strike, another because of bad weather cancelling trains. So, IContinue reading “Reich, BBCPO, Currie – Bridgewater Hall, 29/11/25”
Arabella, R.Strauss – Met Opera relay – Sheffield Curzon Cinema, 22/11/25
Conductor, Nicholas Carter; Director, Otto Schenk; Designer, Günther Schneider Siemssen; Costumes, Milena Canonero; Lighting, Gil Wechsler. Arabella, Rachel Willis-Sørensen; Zdenka, Louise Alder; Fiakermilli, Julie Roset; Countess Adelaide Waldner, Karen Cargill; Matteo, Pavol Breslik; Mandryka, Tomasz Konieczny; Count Waldner, Brindley Sherratt This production looks like something from another era (and indeed it is – first seenContinue reading “Arabella, R.Strauss – Met Opera relay – Sheffield Curzon Cinema, 22/11/25”
The Makropoulos Case, Janacek – ROHCG, 21/11/25
Director, Katie Mitchell; Costume Designer, Sussie Juhlin-Wallén; Lighting Designer, James Farncombe; Set Designer, Vicki Mortimer; Video Designer, Sasha Balmazi-Owen. Emilia Marty, Ausrine Stundyte; Albert Gregor, Sean Panikkar; Baron Jaroslav Prus, Johan Reuter; Dr Kolenatý, Henry Waddington; Vítek, Peter Hoare; Janek, Daniel Matoušek; Count Hauk-Šendorf, Alan Oke; Krista, Heather Engebretson; Stage door woman; Susan Bickley OfContinue reading “The Makropoulos Case, Janacek – ROHCG, 21/11/25”
Susanna, Handel – Opera North with Phoenix Dance Company, Lowry, Salford – 14/11/25
Anna Dennis, Susanna; Matthew Brook, Chelsias; Claire Lees, Daniel; James Hall, Joacim; Dorna Ashory, Teige Bisnought, Aaron Chaplin. Pikolwethu Luke, Graciela Mariqueo-Smith, Hannah McGlashon, Yasmina Patel, Tony Polo and other Phoenix Company Dancers. Johanna Soller, Conductor; Olivia Fuchs, Director; Marcus Jarrell Willis, Choreographer; Zahra Mansouri, Set & Costume Designer; Jake Wiltshire, Lighting Designer Another HandelContinue reading “Susanna, Handel – Opera North with Phoenix Dance Company, Lowry, Salford – 14/11/25”
Dead Man Walking, Heggie – ENO – 4/11/25
Christine Rice, Sister Helen Prejean; Michael Mayes, Joseph De Rocher; Sarah Connolly, Mrs Patrick De Rocher; Madeline Boreham, Sister Rose; Andrew Manea, Warden George Benton; Ronald Samm, Father Grenville; Gweneth Ann Rand, Kitty Hart; Jacques Imbrailo, Owen Hart. Kerem Hasan, Conductor; Annilese Miskimmon, Director, Alex Eales, Set Designer, Evie Gurney, Costume Designer; D.M. Wood, LightingContinue reading “Dead Man Walking, Heggie – ENO – 4/11/25”
Messiaen, Ensemble 360 – Sheffield Crucible – 1/11/25
Klein, String Trio; Smit, Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano; Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time This concert was preceded by an hour or so with a lecturer from the Birmingham Conservatoire talking about Messiaen, with the aid of two of the evening’s players to provide musical illustrations. One of the fascinating things weContinue reading “Messiaen, Ensemble 360 – Sheffield Crucible – 1/11/25”
John's musical journey 