Category Archives: Uncategorized

Siegfried, Andreas Schager; Mime, Arnold Bezuyen; Der Wanderer, Tomasz Konieczny; Alberich,  Olafur Sigurdarson; Fafner, Wilhelm Schwinghammer; Erda, Okka von der Damerau; Brünnhilde, Daniela Köhler; Waldvogel, Alexandra Steiner. 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) The weather has gotContinue reading “Siegfried, Bayreuth Festival: 28/8/22“

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”