Category Archives: Uncategorized

Victoria Poleva –  White Interment (UK premiere); Alban Berg – Violin Concerto; Richard Strauss –  Eine Alpensinfonie. Bayerische Staatsorchester, Vladimir Jurowski conductor; Vilde Frang violin I have never seen a live performance of the Alpine Symphony before, so I was looking forward to this concert a lot. I had missed going to what must have been a veryContinue reading “Bayerische Staatsorchester, Jurowski – Poleva/Berg/R.Strauss: Barbican 18/9/23”

Iúnó Connolly; Andrew Henley; Philip Sheffield, Guy Beynon, Aaron Kendall; Ellen Mawhinney; Sarah Chae. Thomas Blunt, Conductor; Jeremy Gray, Stage Director How best to describe this experience? It was like being invited to have dinner with an uncle of one of your oldest and best friends. You accept willingly and at first you are astonishedContinue reading “At the Venice Fair: Salieri (UK premiere run). St Johns Smith Square, Bampton Classical Opera 13/9/23”

Alice Coote, Cassandra; Michael Spyres, Aeneas; Paula Murrihy, Dido; Lionel Lhote, Coroebus; Adèle Charvet, Ascanius; Alex Rosen, Narbal; Ashley Riches, Panthus; Beth Taylor, Anna. Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. Conductor Dinis Sousa After the only staged performance I’ve seen of this work so far (see July 2022 entry in this blog) in Munich, whichContinue reading “Berlioz Les Troyens: ORR, RAH Proms 3/9/23”

Carlos Simon Four Black American Dances (European premiere); Stravinsky Petrushka (1947 version); Gershwin Piano Concerto in F major; Ravel La valse. Jean-Yves Thibaudet Piano, Boston Symphony Orchestra. Andris Nelsons conductor This was a well-planned programme, centred around dance and jazz rhythms, as well as framing two American pieces in each half with two Diaghilev ballets,Continue reading “Boston Symphony Orchestra: Stravinsky, Gershwin, Ravel – RAH Proms. 26/8/23”

Wagner, transcr. Demers The Mastersingers of Nuremberg – Prelude to Act 1; Rachel Laurin Prelude and Fugue in G major; (World premiere); J. S. Bach, arr. Dupré  Cantata No. 146, ‘Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal’ – Sinfonia; Coleridge-Taylor Three Impromptus; Reger Chorale Fantasia on ‘Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott’; Still Elegy, transcr. Demers RomeoContinue reading “Afternoon organ recital, RAH Proms 26/8/23”

J. S. Bach: Cantata No. 170, ‘Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust’; Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major; Cantata No. 35, ‘Geist und Seele wird verdwirret’. Iestyn Davies counter-tenor, The English Concert. Kristian Bezuidenhout harpsichord/director  The Proms is really a remarkable institution. How can it possibly be that about 3000 people should be milling around theContinue reading “Bach late night concert: RAH Proms. 25/8/23”

Julia Adolphe Makeshift Castle (European premiere); R. Strauss Death and Transfiguration; Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 in B flat major. Boston Symphony Orchestra – Andris Nelsons, conductor  Three months after seeing him conduct Mahler 8 in Leipzig, it was good to see Andris Nelsons looking healthier at this Prom than he did back then. He hadContinue reading “Boston Symphony Orchestra, Nelsons: R.Strauss, Prokofiev – RAH Proms. 25/8/23”

Judith Weir: Begin Afresh; world premiere; Schumann: Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, ‘Spring’ ; Elgar: Violin Concerto in B minor. Christian Tetzlaff, violin; BBC Symphony Orchestra; Sakari Oramo, conductor  I hadn’t intended to go to this, though I thought it looked like a good Prom – however, for various reasons I can’t goContinue reading “BBC SO/ Oramo: Weir, Schumann, Elgar – RAH Proms 24/8/23”

György Kurtág Endgame (UK premiere). Frode Olsen, Hamm; Morgan Moody, Clov; Hilary Summers, Nell; Leonardo Cortellazzi,  Nagg; BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor. Victoria Newlyn, stage director This is an event that I really felt duty-bound to go to, without necessarily a huge amount of enthusiasm – but a new work by the lastContinue reading “Kurtág – Endgame: BBC SSO, Wigglesworth – RAH Proms 17/8/23”

Conductor, Dalia Stasevska; Original Director, Peter Hall; Revival Director and Original Choreographer, Lynne Hockney; Designer, John Bury; Revival Choreographer, Lauren Poulton; Lighting Designer, Paul Pyant; London Philharmonic Orchestra, Trinity Boys Choir. Puck, Oliver Barlow; Oberon, Tim Mead; Tytania, Liv Redpath; Lysander, Caspar Singh; Hermia, Rachael Wilson; Demetrius, Samuel Dale Johnson; Helena, Lauren Fagan; Quince, HenryContinue reading “Britten: Midsummer Night’s Dream – Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Glyndebourne. 8/8/23”