It’s been another extraordinary year for high quality classical music performances I’ve attended. These are my top ten performance highlights, in no particular order: 1. Mahler Symphony No 2: Wong, Halle, Bridgewater Hall 2. R.Strauss, Arabella: Runnicles, Deutsche Oper Berlin 3. Wagner, Die Walkure: Pappano,. ROHCG 4. R.Strauss, Die Liebe der Danae: Bayern Staatsoper, Schager/Bystrom/MaltmanContinue reading “Live concert and opera highlights I have been to in 2025”
Tag Archives: classical-music
Ariodante, Handel – ROHCG – 17/12/25
Director, Jetske Mijnssen; Set designer, Etienne Pluss; Costume designer, Uta Meenen; Lighting designer, Fabrice Kebour; Conductor, Stefano Montanari. Cast: Ariodante, (Grace Durham replaced Emily D’Angelo); Ginevra, Jacquelyn Stucker; Dalinda, Elena Villalón; Polinesso, Christophe Dumaux; Lurcanio, Ed Lyon; King of Scotland, Peter Kellner; Odoardo, Emyr Lloyd Jones Yet another Handel opera I’ve (I think) not seenContinue reading “Ariodante, Handel – ROHCG – 17/12/25”
The Makropoulos Case, Janacek – ROHCG, 21/11/25
Director, Katie Mitchell; Costume Designer, Sussie Juhlin-Wallén; Lighting Designer, James Farncombe; Set Designer, Vicki Mortimer; Video Designer, Sasha Balmazi-Owen. Emilia Marty, Ausrine Stundyte; Albert Gregor, Sean Panikkar; Baron Jaroslav Prus, Johan Reuter; Dr Kolenatý, Henry Waddington; Vítek, Peter Hoare; Janek, Daniel Matoušek; Count Hauk-Šendorf, Alan Oke; Krista, Heather Engebretson; Stage door woman; Susan Bickley OfContinue reading “The Makropoulos Case, Janacek – ROHCG, 21/11/25”
Susanna, Handel – Opera North with Phoenix Dance Company, Lowry, Salford – 14/11/25
Anna Dennis, Susanna; Matthew Brook, Chelsias; Claire Lees, Daniel; James Hall, Joacim; Dorna Ashory, Teige Bisnought, Aaron Chaplin. Pikolwethu Luke, Graciela Mariqueo-Smith, Hannah McGlashon, Yasmina Patel, Tony Polo and other Phoenix Company Dancers. Johanna Soller, Conductor; Olivia Fuchs, Director; Marcus Jarrell Willis, Choreographer; Zahra Mansouri, Set & Costume Designer; Jake Wiltshire, Lighting Designer Another HandelContinue reading “Susanna, Handel – Opera North with Phoenix Dance Company, Lowry, Salford – 14/11/25”
Dead Man Walking, Heggie – ENO – 4/11/25
Christine Rice, Sister Helen Prejean; Michael Mayes, Joseph De Rocher; Sarah Connolly, Mrs Patrick De Rocher; Madeline Boreham, Sister Rose; Andrew Manea, Warden George Benton; Ronald Samm, Father Grenville; Gweneth Ann Rand, Kitty Hart; Jacques Imbrailo, Owen Hart. Kerem Hasan, Conductor; Annilese Miskimmon, Director, Alex Eales, Set Designer, Evie Gurney, Costume Designer; D.M. Wood, LightingContinue reading “Dead Man Walking, Heggie – ENO – 4/11/25”
Messiaen, Ensemble 360 – Sheffield Crucible – 1/11/25
Klein, String Trio; Smit, Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano; Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time This concert was preceded by an hour or so with a lecturer from the Birmingham Conservatoire talking about Messiaen, with the aid of two of the evening’s players to provide musical illustrations. One of the fascinating things weContinue reading “Messiaen, Ensemble 360 – Sheffield Crucible – 1/11/25”
Bach and American Minimalism: Shani Diluka, Sheffield Crucible 31/10/25
JS BACH (arr. Alexander Siloti) Prelude in E minor BWV855; GLASS Etude 2; JS BACH Prelude in C BWV846; CPE BACH Solfeggietto H220 Wq 117; GLASS Etude 9; JS BACH Prelude in F minor BWV857 ; GLASS Mad Rush; JS BACH (arr. Alfred Cortot) Arioso from Concerto No.5 in F minor BWV1056 ; MOONDOG CanonContinue reading “Bach and American Minimalism: Shani Diluka, Sheffield Crucible 31/10/25 “
John Adams – Bridgewater Hall, Halle, Adams – 30/10/25
John Adams conductor; Mary Bevan soprano; Hallé Choir (Matthew Hamilton, choral director). . John Adams: Slonimsky’s Earbox; Debussy/John Adams Le Livre de Baudelaire; John Adams ‘This is prophetic!’ (Pat’s Aria from Nixon in China); Harmonium I have enjoyed listening to John Adams’ music for many years, and have several recordings of his music, but allContinue reading “John Adams – Bridgewater Hall, Halle, Adams – 30/10/25”
Bach / Ensemble 360: Upper Chapel, Sheffield – 25/10/25 2pm
Bach: Sonata No.3 in C; Partita No.3 in E; Benjamin Nabarro, violin I have been reading a fascinating book by Kate Kennedy called ‘Cello’, about the passion and the closeness of the relationship between instrument and player, as exemplified by four historical/ contemporary figures. Amongst many other topics, she muses on whether, in the sameContinue reading “Bach / Ensemble 360: Upper Chapel, Sheffield – 25/10/25 2pm”
Takacs Quartet, Timothy Ridout, Mozart Quintets – Wigmore Hall – 20/10/25
Mozart, String Quintet in C K515; String Quintet in G minor K516 This was a superb concert. I have listened to these two works a number of times but have never heard them live and therefore haven’t ever, really, given them the full, deep concentration I find I can only give at a live concert.Continue reading “Takacs Quartet, Timothy Ridout, Mozart Quintets – Wigmore Hall – 20/10/25”
John's musical journey 