Arvo Pärt Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten; Dvořák Violin Concerto in A minor; Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in D major. Isabelle Faust violin, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Andris Nelsons conductor Again, not a totally obvious bit of programming, but I guess the common theme is new nations asserting themselves against dominant powers (Finland/Russia – Czechia/Austro-Hungarian EmpireContinue reading “Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra/Nelsons. RAH, BBC Proms 26/8/25”
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R.Strauss/Puccini – LSO, Pappano. RAH, BBC Proms 19/8/25
R. Strauss Die Frau ohne Schatten – Symphonic Fantasy; Puccini, Suor Angelica. Carolina López Moreno, Sister Angelica. Kseniia Nikolaieva, Princess; Elena Zilio, Monitress. Angela Schisano, Mistress of the novices. Sarah Dufresne, Sister Genovieffa. Tiffin Choir, London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Antonio Pappano conductor This promised to be an exciting concert. Pappano conducting StraussContinue reading “R.Strauss/Puccini – LSO, Pappano. RAH, BBC Proms 19/8/25”
Delius, Mass of Life. RAH, BBC Proms, 18/8/25
Jennifer Davis soprano, Claudia Huckle mezzo-soprano, David Butt Philip tenor, Roderick Williams baritone. BBC Symphony Chorus, London Philharmonic Choir, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder conductor This was a work completely new to me – and so was a ‘must’ when I saw it on the Proms schedule. I have never heard it live, neverContinue reading “Delius, Mass of Life. RAH, BBC Proms, 18/8/25”
BBC NOW, Bancroft. RAH, BBC Proms 15/8/25
Sofia Gubaidulina Revue Music for Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Band; Ravel Piano Concerto in G major ; Shostakovich Symphony No. 13 in B flat minor, ‘Babi Yar’. Benjamin Grosvenor piano, Kostas Smoriginas, bass; Synergy Vocals, BBC National Chorus of Wales (lower voices), BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Ryan Bancroft conductor Yet another Prom completely packed out…..this just wouldn’t have seemed possibleContinue reading “BBC NOW, Bancroft. RAH, BBC Proms 15/8/25”
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fischer. RAH, BBC Proms, 6/8/25
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major; Bartók – Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. Dorottya Láng, Judith; Krisztián Cser, Duke Bluebeard. Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer conductor This was a late choice of Prom – it was one I flagged up when booking, decided against, dithered, and finally bought a ticket for…..The BFO and Fischer are alwaysContinue reading “Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fischer. RAH, BBC Proms, 6/8/25”
Boulez / Mahler – BBCSO, Lintu. RAH, BBC Proms 4/8/25
Boulez, Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna; Mahler Das klagende Lied (original version, 1880). Natalya Romaniw soprano; Jennifer Johnston mezzo-soprano; Russell Thomas tenor; James Newby baritone. Constanza Chorus, BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu conductor It is now 57 years since I went to my first Prom. I missed out on them for manyContinue reading “Boulez / Mahler – BBCSO, Lintu. RAH, BBC Proms 4/8/25”
Faure, Penelope, Bayern Staatsoper, Prinzregententheater, Munich, 23/7/25
Conductor, Susanna Mälkki; Director, Andrea Breth; Designer, Raimund Orfeo Voigt; Costumes, Ursula Renzenbrink; Lighting, Alexander Koppelmann. Ulysse, Brandon Jovanovich; Eumée, Thomas Mole; Antinoüs, Loïc Félix; Eurymaque, Leigh Melrose; Léodès, Joel Williams; Ctésippe , Zachary Rioux; Pisandre, Dafydd Jones; A Shepherd, Soloist(s) of the Tölz Boys’ Choir; Pénélope, Victoria Karkacheva; Euryclée, Rinat Shaham; Cléone, Valerie EickhoffContinue reading “Faure, Penelope, Bayern Staatsoper, Prinzregententheater, Munich, 23/7/25”
R.Strauss, Die Liebe der Danae, Bayern Staatsoper, Munich 22/7/25
Conductor, Sebastian Weigle; Director, Claus Guth; Designer, Michael Levine; Costumes, Ursula Kudrna; Lighting, Alessandro Carletti; Jupiter, Christopher Maltman; Mercury, Ya-Chung Huang; Pollux, Vincent Wolfsteiner; Danae, Malin Byström; Xanthe, Erika Baikoff; Midas, Andreas Schager; Four Kings, Martin Snell, Bálint Szabó, Paul Kaufmann, Kevin Conners; Semele, Sarah Dufresne; Europe, Evgeniya Sotnikova; Alkmene, Emily Sierra; Leda, Avery Amereau IContinue reading “R.Strauss, Die Liebe der Danae, Bayern Staatsoper, Munich 22/7/25”
2nd Festival Baroque concert, Cuvilliés Theatre, Munich, 21/7/25
Violin, Verena-Maria Fitz,Clara Scholtes; Viola, Johanna Maurer; Cello, Allan Bergius; Zinc (which I think means cornet – presumably a high Bach trumpet), Gebhard David; Conductor and organ; Stefan Steinemann; Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir I was to be off from Berlin at 1028 am, allegedly, on a train to Munich, though in fact it didn’t arriveContinue reading “2nd Festival Baroque concert, Cuvilliés Theatre, Munich, 21/7/25”
Weill/Brecht, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny; Deutsche Oper Berlin, 20/7/25
Conductor, Stefan Klingele; Director, Benedikt von Peter; Design, Katrin Wittig; Costumes, Geraldine Arnold; Lighting, Ulrich Niepel; Leokadja Begbick, Evelyn Herlitzius; Fatty, Thomas Cilluffo. Dreieinigkeitsmoses, Robert Gleadow; Jenny Hill, Annette Dasch; Jim Mahoney, Nikolai Schukoff; Jack O’Brian, Kieran Carrel; Bill, Artur Garbas; Joe, Padraic Rowan I spent the morning, as I have done whenever I haveContinue reading ” Weill/Brecht, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny; Deutsche Oper Berlin, 20/7/25″
John's musical journey 