Category Archives: Uncategorized

Fleur Barron, the Singaporean-British mezzo who is clearly making a name for herself gave a very good lunchtime recital at the Buxton Festival. Entitled “Between Dark and Daylight”, it included works by Clara Schumann, Brahms, Ives, Dutilleux, Korngold, Cage, Chen Yi, Florence Price, Li Yinghai, Chinese Folksongs and Schubert. I didn’t have access to theContinue reading “Fleur Barron/Adrian Kelly – St. John’s Church, Buxton (BIF): 21/7/21”

This was a performance that had two contrasting aspects. It was very well sung and played by the Early Opera Company under Christian Curnyn.  All the singers – (Galatea – Anna Dennis; Acis – Samuel Boden; Damon / Coridon – Jorge Navarro Colorado; Polyphemus – Edward Grint, and Chorus – David de Winter) were strong,Continue reading “Acis and Galatea, Handel: Buxton Opera House/BIF – 20/7/21”

After a couple of weeks of seeing various, very worthy, but inevitably cramped, opera productions, with little money to spend on sets or costumes or concept, it was a bit of a relief and an excitement to experience a full scale all-stops-pulled major opera production, which Don Giovanni at Covent Graden definitely was. I thinkContinue reading “Don Giovanni, Mozart: ROHCG, 18/7/21”

This was a really up-lifting and fine performance which engaged everyone and was wonderfully heart-warming. I have heard this work twice before in live performance – a very good Glyndebourne production, which maybe was a bit too perfect in retrospect, but very beautiful to look at (and it may be that I had had tooContinue reading “The Cunning Little Vixen, Janacek: Opera Holland Park 17/7/21”

Another good piece of happenstance…….Covid pinging or the increased number of cases overall is now beginning to make quite a big impact. There were three trains cancelled going down to London from my rail station ‘because of a shortage of drivers’; I was originally going down to London for a trustees meeting, two operas andContinue reading “L’Amico Fritz, Mascagni: Opera Holland Park – 16/7/21”

This was a very good concert (Strauss’ Metamorphosen, Barber’s Adagio and Schoenberg’s Verklaerte Nacht). Because again of commercial constraints the numbers of players had been reduced to 7 (6 for the Schoenberg). But – there is evidence that Strauss was originally thinking of a septet, before receiving a commission from Paul Sacher for his stringContinue reading “R.Strauss, Barber and Schoenberg – members of the Northern Chamber Orchestra: Buxton St Johns Church, Buxton Festival , 14/7/21”

The programme was Malcolm Arnold’s Piano Trio (1956), a Piazzolla selection of two movements from his ‘Four Seasons in Buenos Aires’ and Smetana’s Piano Trio. Another Arnold work, which made me think a bit more about this man’s music……. I remember Arnold conducting at the Proms when I was a teenager – a rather sweatyContinue reading “Arnold, Piazzola, and Smetana – Trio Rouge: Buxton St Johns Church, Buxton Festival , 14/7/21”

I think it’s great to hear new things and I increasingly try to do that when planning my concert-going. I therefore made a bee-line for this when the BIF brochure came out. However, as is only logical, going for the unfamiliar is sometimes a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. While there are masterpieces that eitherContinue reading “The Dancing Master – Malcolm Arnold: Buxton Opera House, Buxton Festival 13/7/21”

The programme was Haydn Piano Trio in A Hob.XV/18 and Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B flat Op.97 “Archduke”. The concert from my perspective was a bit of happenstance that worked well. Originally this was to be a violin and piano recital – Beethoven and one of the violinist’s own works – by Jennifer Pike andContinue reading “Beethoven / Haydn: ‘Martin Roscoe’ Trio, Buxton St John’s Church, Buxton Festival, 13/7/21”

I really enjoyed this, and rather wished I had booked to see it a second time, as there is a lot to take in in what feels like a very concentrated hour and 40 minutes or so. The basic story is a follow on from the familiar tale of Dido and Aeneas as told byContinue reading “Dido’s Ghost – Purcell/Wallen: Buxton Festival (Opera House): 11/7/21”