Category Archives: Uncategorized

Matthew Kofi Waldren conductor; Jack Furness director; Georgia de Grey designer; Ben Ormerod lighting designer. Olivia Swain Mother Spring; Adam Jarman Father Frost; Jessica Hopkins Snow Maiden (Snyegùrochka); Yihui Wang Bobìl-Bakula; Leah McCabe Bobylìkha; Henry Strutt Tsar Byenrendèyi; Alexander Gibb Byermyàta; Sophie Clarke Lyel; Charlotte Baker Kupàva; Matthew Secombe Mizgìr; Nicholas Collins Boggart; William JowettContinue reading “Rimsky-Korsakov – The Snow Maiden: RNCM, Manchester, 13/12/23”

Daphne, Hye-Youn Lee; Leukippos, Shengzhi Ren; Apollo, Brad Cooper; Peneios, Dingle Yandell; Gaea, Claire Barnett-Jones. Conductor, Stuart Stratford; Concert Staging, Emma Jenkins Daphne is a work I’ve never heard live before and almost certainly I’ll not hear it again in my lifetime. The first performance of the opera took place at the Semperoper in DresdenContinue reading “R.Strauss, Daphne (staged concert performance) Scottish Opera, Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 10/12/23”

Bruckner. Symphony No. 5 In B Flat Major: Conductor, Christian Thieleman, Staatskapelle Berlin I heard the Berlin Staatskapelle play Bruckner at the Proms under Barenboim in 2016 (they played Nos 4 and 6 symphonies) and in the same year I heard Thielemann conduct No 3 at  the Proms with his (then) Dresden orchestra. The StaatskapelleContinue reading “Bruckner, Staatskapelle Berlin, Staatsoper Unter den Linden: 20/11/23”

Conductor, James Conlon; Director, Kasper Holten; Stage design, Costume design – Steffen Aarfing; Light design, Jesper Kongshaug. Cast – Heinrich, Ryan Speedo Green; Lohengrin, David Butt Philip; Elsa, Jennifer Davis; Telramund, Jordan Shanahan; Ortrud, Yulia Matochkina; Herald, Dean Murphy After a morning at the Anglican Church in Berlin, where the familiarity of the liturgy wasContinue reading “Lohengrin, Wagner: Deutsche Oper Berlin: 19/11/23”

Conductor, Ulf Schirmer. Director, Jossi Wieler; Stage designer. Torsten Köpf;  Costume designer, Charlotte Pistorius; Light design, Olaf Freee. Cast – Hans Sachs, Johan Reuter; Veit Pogner, Albert Pesendorfer; Sixtus Beckmesser, Philipp Jekal; Fritz Kothner, Thomas Lehman, Walther von Stolzing, Magnus Vigilius; David, Ya-Chung Huang; Eva, Elena Tsallagova; Magdalena, Annika Schlicht; Nightwatchman, (recorded), Günther Groissböck HowContinue reading “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Wagner: Deutsche Oper Berlin: 18/11/23”

Conductor, Christophe Rousset; Production, Andrea Breth; Scenery, Martin Zehetgruber; Costumes, Carla Teti; Lighting, Olaf Freese. Cast – Médée, Marina Rebeka; Jason, Stanislas De Barbeyrac; Créon, Peter Schöne; Dircé, Maria Kokareva; Néris, Natalia Skrycka  This was part of a ‘Barocktage’ season at the Staatsoper which includes Simon Rattle conducting the Charpentier version of Medea as wellContinue reading “Medea, Cherubini: Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden: 17/11/23”

Galina Averina, Magda; Claire Lees, Lisette; Sébastien Guèze, Ruggero; Elgan Llŷr Thomas,Prunier; Philip Smith, Rambaldo; Pasquale Orchard, Yvette; Kathryn Sharpe, Bianca; Laura Kelly-Mcinroy, Suzy; Ross Mcinroy, Périchaud; Satriya Krisna, Gobin; Paul Gibson, Crébillon;Andrew Randall, Rabonnier. Kerem Hasan, Conductor; James Hurley, Director; Leslie Travers, Set Designer; Gabrielle Dalton, Costume Designer It’s a strange experience going toContinue reading “La Rondine, Puccini: Opera North, Nottingham Theatre Royal, 10/11/23”

Director, Oliver Mears; Set Designer, Simon Lima Holdsworth; Costume Designer, Ilona Karas; Lighting Designer, Fabiana Piccioli; Movement Director, Anna Morrissey; Conductor,  Laurence Cummings. Cast – Jephtha, Allan Clayton; Iphis, Jennifer France; Storgè, Alice Coote; Hamor, Cameron Shahbazi; Zebul, Brindley Sherratt Jephtha is Handel’s last oratorio (1751). Whilst writing Jephtha, Handel was increasingly troubled by hisContinue reading “Jephtha, Handel: ROHCG dress rehearsal, 6/11/23”

Kerem Hasan conductor; Francesca Chiejina soprano: Wagner the Flying Dutchman – overture; Strauss Orchestral Songs (selection); Mozart Symphony No. 35 in D major, K385 ‘Haffner’; Strauss Munich: A Memorial Waltz ; Strauss Die Frau ohne Schatten – Symphonic Fantasy I have seen Die Frau ohne Schatten twice – maybe in 1975/76 – at Covent GardenContinue reading “BBC Philharmonic, Hasan: Wagner, R.Strauss and Mozart – Bridgewater Hall, 4/11/23”

Bach: Goldberg Variations I have only heard this work once before live – with Andras Schiff about 6 years ago in Manchester – which was a very fine performance, though a long evening (he played Bach and Haydn in the first half, and the Goldberg Variations was the second half!). I know the work mainlyContinue reading “Vikingur Olafsson: Bach – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall,1/11/23”