Category Archives: Uncategorized

Turandot, Liudmyla Monastyrska; Calaf, Yonghoon Lee;  Liu, Ermonela Jaho; Timur, Ferruccio Furlanetto; conductor, Marco Armiliato; director, Franco Zeffirelli Oh dear…… Turandot is a bit of a problem really in any performance but particularly in this – presumably fairly ancient – Zeffirelli one. Orientalist, sexist (at least as far as Liu is concerned, and to someContinue reading “Puccini: Turandot. Met Opera live stream to Sheffield Cinema. 07/05/22”

Edale Music Festival 2022 April 29, 30 & May 1st This was an exciting weekend where Martin Cropper, the Director, some staff and ex-students, and current advanced students, at the Sheffield Music Academy performed a weekend of chamber music at Edale Parish Church. As I was involved in organising this, I am simply placing this onContinue reading “Derbyshire – Edale Music Festival in memory of Peter Cropper, given by staff and students, past and present, of the Sheffield Music Academy 29/4/22 – 1/5/22”

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Mazzola conductor, Renée Fleming soprano. Dvořák: Overture, Othello; Verdi: Dances, Willow song, Ave Maria from Otello; Strauss: Introduction; Moonlight Music; Finale from Capriccio The programme of this (great) concert was built around Ms Fleming, and the Othello/Richard Strauss themes of the first and second had little connection between the two otherContinue reading “Dvorak / Verdi / R.Strauss: LPO, Mazzola, Fleming. RFH, 22/4/22”

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 7 (Sinfonia Antarctica); Symphony No. 2 ‘A London Symphony’).  BBC Philharmonic- John Wilson, conductorh I suppose the connection in the programming here would be that (apart from similar orchestral resources being needed, which makes it sensible and efficient to put the two works together), like Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony, these worksContinue reading “Vaughan Williams: BBC Philharmonic / Wilson; Bridgewater Hall 8/4/22”

Elgar Cockaigne (In London Town), Ravel Piano Concerto in G, Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 2 ‘A London Symphony’).  BBC Philharmonic- John Wilson, conductor, Steven Osborne, piano This programme was a very interesting one in terms of the connections between the pieces – the VW and Ravel use ‘popular’ music in a complex symphonic texture, VW wasContinue reading “Elgar/Ravel/Vaughan Williams: BBC Philharmonic / Wilson/Osborne; Sheffield City Hall 7/4/22”

Berlioz, Harold en Italie; Kodály, Dances of Galánta; Tchaikovsky, Francesca da Rimini. Halle Orchestra: Lionel Bringuier, conductor; Timothy Ridout, viola There are a number of connections here possibly in terms of this programme – all have wild elements to their close, two are relatively early works, and the Kodaly and the Tchaikovsky are great orchestralContinue reading “Berlioz/Kodaly/Tchaikovsky – Halle Orchestra, Bringuier/Ridout – Bridgewater Hall 31/3/22”

Patrick Furrer, Conductor; Sonya Yoncheva, Élisabeth De Valois; Jamie Barton, Eboli; Matthew Polenzani, Don Carlos; Eric Owens, Philippe II; Etienne Dupuis,  Rodrigue Marquis de Posa; John Relyea, Grand Inquisitor; Director, David Mcvicar; Set Design, Charles Edwards So – this was my first trip after two weeks of isolation from anything social at all! Don CarlosContinue reading “Verdi: Don Carlos. Met Opera live stream to Sheffield Cinema. 26/03/22”

Der Holländer – John Lundgren; Daland – Georg Zeppenfeld; Senta – Asmik Grigorian; Erik – Eric Cutler; Mary – Marina Prudenskaya; Der Steuermann – Attilio Glaser; Conductor – Oksana Lyniv; Director – Dmitri Tcherniakov; Sets – Dmitri Tcherniakov; Costumes – Elena Zaytseva I had been planning to go to the ROHCG Peter Grimes, the ENOContinue reading “Der Fliegende Holländer: Bayreuther Festspiele 2021 via YouTube”

Production, Elijah Moshinsky; Set and Costume Designer, Michael Yeargan; Conductor, Marek Janowski. Lise Davidsen, Ariadne; Brenda Rae, Zerbinetta; Isabel Leonard, Composer; Brandon Jovanovich, Bacchus; Sean Michael Plumb, Harlequin; Johannes Martin Kränzle, Music Master; Wolfgang Brendel, Major-Domo I am not sure I have ever seen this work live before – and of course this wasn’t reallyContinue reading “R.Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos. Met Opera live stream to Sheffield Curzon Cinema. 12/03/22”

Sky Ingram, Alcina; Patrick Terry, Ruggiero; Mari Askvik, Bradamante; Fflur Wyn, Morgana; Nick Pritchard, Oronte, Claire Pascoe, Melissa. Laurence Cummings, Conductor; Tim Albery, Director; Hannah Clark, Set and Costume Designer; “Tim Albery‘s new production is inspired by Princess Margaret’s Mustique or Richard Branson’s Necker – a very private, tropical island retreat. In this case, theContinue reading “Handel: Alcina. Opera North, Lowry Theatre, Salford 11/03/22”