Conductor, Robin Ticciati; Director, Jetske Mijnssen; Set Designer, Ben Baur; Costume Designer, Gideon Davey; Choreographer, Dustin Klein; Lighting Designer, Fabrice Kebour. London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Glyndebourne Chorus. Cast: Parsifal, Daniel Johansson; Gurnemanz, John Relyea; Kundry, Kristina Stanek; Amfortas, Audun Iversen; Klingsor, Ryan Speedo Green; Titurel, John Tomlinson In the essay ‘Religion and Art’ (1880) WagnerContinue reading “Wagner, Parsifal. Glyndebourne Festival Opera: 6/6/25”
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Rossini, Barber of Seville. Met Opera HD screening, Sheffield Curzon Cinema, 31/5/25
Conductor, Giacomo Sagripanti; Rosina, Aigul Akhmetshina; Count Almaviva, Jack Swanson; Figaro, Andrey Zhilikhovsky; Dr. Bartolo, Peter Kálmán; Don Basilio, Alexander Vinogradov. Director, Bartlett Sher; Set Designer, Michael Yeargan; Costumes, Catherine Zuber It is a long time since I’ve heard the Barber of Seville – it’s probably 45-50 years since I’ve heard it live in theContinue reading “Rossini, Barber of Seville. Met Opera HD screening, Sheffield Curzon Cinema, 31/5/25”
Unsuk Chin/Beethoven. Halle, Wong. Bridgewater Hall. 29/5/25
Kahchun Wong, conductor; Wu Wei, sheng; Nardus Williams, soprano; Susan Bickley, mezzo-soprano; Nicky Spence, tenor; William Thomas, bass; Hallé Choir, Matthew Hamilton choral director. Unsuk Chin, Su. Beethoven Symphony No.9, ‘Choral’ David Butcher, the Halle CEO, said before the beginning of this concert that Halle ticket sales were 33% up this season compared to theContinue reading “Unsuk Chin/Beethoven. Halle, Wong. Bridgewater Hall. 29/5/25”
Mozart/Beethoven/ Elgar; Ensemble 360, Crucible, Sheffield, 24/5/25
Mozart Flute Quartet in D K285; Beethoven Quintet for Piano and Wind Op.16; Elgar Piano Quintet Op.84 It’s a pity I have been to so little of the Ensemble 360 annual Chamber Music Festival – a lot of good things to go and see (20 concerts) but in the event this was only the second and last I’veContinue reading “Mozart/Beethoven/ Elgar; Ensemble 360, Crucible, Sheffield, 24/5/25”
Ravel / Farrenc/ Durufle/ Schumann.: Ensemble 360, Crucible, Sheffield,19/5/25
Ravel (arr. Farrington) Mother Goose Suite ; Farrenc Sextet; DURUFLÉ Prélude, récitatif et variations; Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat Op.44 This was a varied and interesting programme, with the best definitely last…..The Ravel piece I know from its full chamber orchestra version – here it had one each of strings, woodwind, horn and percussion,Continue reading “Ravel / Farrenc/ Durufle/ Schumann.: Ensemble 360, Crucible, Sheffield,19/5/25”
R.Strauss, Salome – Met Opera HD screening, Sheffield Curzon Cinema, 17/5/25
Conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Director, Claus Guth; Set Designer, Etienne Pluss; Ursula Kudrna; Costume Designer; Peter Mattei, Jokanaan; Gerhard Siegel, Herod; Michelle DeYoung, Herodias; Piotr Buszewski, Narraboth; Elza van den Heever, Salome I had planned to go to an Ensemble 360 chamber music concert (Schubert and Janacek) on 17 May but discovered a week before thatContinue reading “R.Strauss, Salome – Met Opera HD screening, Sheffield Curzon Cinema, 17/5/25”
R. Strauss, An Alpine Symphony. Halle / Elder – Bridgewater Hall, 10/5/25
Halle Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder conductor. Huw Watkins, Concerto for Orchestra (world premiere); R. Strauss An Alpine Symphony This was Mark Elder’s one concert with the Halle in this, the first year after he retired from being music director. It was billed as a big deal on Halle’s Facebook page – it also had aContinue reading “R. Strauss, An Alpine Symphony. Halle / Elder – Bridgewater Hall, 10/5/25”
Wagner, Die Walkure. ROHCG 7/5/25,
Antonio Pappano, conductor; Wotan, Christopher Maltman; Brünnhilde, Elisabet Strid; Sieglinde, Natalya Romaniw; Siegmund, Stanislas de Barbeyrac; Hunding, Soloman Howard; Fricka, Marina Prudenskaya; Helmwige, Maida Hundeling; Ortlinde, Katie Lowe; Gerhilde, Lee Bisset; Waltraute, Claire Barnett-Jones; Siegrune, Catherine Carby; Rossweisse, Alison Kettlewell; Grimgerde, Monika-Evelin Liiv; Schwertleite, Rhonda Browne. Director, Barrie Kosky; set designer, Rufus Didwiszus; costume designer,Continue reading “Wagner, Die Walkure. ROHCG 7/5/25,”
Irena Radić, piano – St James Piccadilly lunchtime recital 7/5/25
Madeleine Dring: Prelude; Kenneth V Jones: Piano Sonata; Chopin: Piano Sonata no.3 in B minor Madeleine Dring and Kenneth V Jones were both mid 20th century figures, the latter a film composer, a professor of composition at the RCM and, as it happens the pianist’s (herself a student at the RCM) great uncle. I likedContinue reading ” Irena Radić, piano – St James Piccadilly lunchtime recital 7/5/25″
Janáček The Excursions of Mr Brouček. LSO, Rattle. Barbican, 6/5/25
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle conductor. Peter Hoare, Brouček; Aleš Briscein Mazal/Blankytný/Petřík; Lucy Crowe, Málinka/Etherea/Kunka; Gyula Orendt , akristán/Lunobor/Domšík; Lukáš Zeman, Svatopluk/Würfl/Čaroskvoucí/Ratsherr Doubravka Novotná, Číšníček/Wunderkind/Student; Arttu Kataja, Artist/Dohuslav/Vojta; Linard Vrielink, Skladatel/Harfoboj/Miroslav; Hanna Hipp, Kedruta. Tenebrae This is a work I have never seen live before and I’ve never indeed had a recording of/ heardContinue reading “Janáček The Excursions of Mr Brouček. LSO, Rattle. Barbican, 6/5/25”
John's musical journey 