Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer conductor; Igor Levit piano. Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes arr. for orchestra, Op.34a; Piano Concerto No.2; Prokofiev: Selection from Cinderella Suites This was a concert I probably wouldn’t have gone to had I not been in London for the evening, prior to getting an early Eurostar train to, ultimately, BerlinContinue reading “Prokofiev, Budapest Festival Orchestra. Royal Festival Hall, 11/3/25”
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Shostakovich: Upper Chapel, Sheffield. 8/3/25
Ensemble 360: Shostakovich. String Quartet No.10; String Quartet No.12 This was a short concert which was part of a whole set of concerts and symposia on Shostakovich’s chamber music over the weekend in Sheffield – sadly this was the only event I could actually make…..My knowledge of which Shostakovich Quartet is which is sometimes aContinue reading “Shostakovich: Upper Chapel, Sheffield. 8/3/25”
Wagner: Gotterdammerung. Regents Opera, York Hall Bethnal Green: 2/3/25
Norn 1: Ingeborg Børch; Norn 2: Mae Heydorn; Norn 3: Jillian Finnamore; Siegfried: Peter Furlong; Brünnhilde: Catharine Woodward; Hagen: Simon Wilding; Gunther: Andrew Mayor; Gutrune: Justine Viani; Alberich: Oliver Gibbs; Woglinde: Jillian Finnamore; Wellgunde: Elizabeth Findon; Flosshilde: Mae Heydorn; Waltraute: Catherine Backhouse; Ben Woodward: Music Director and Conductor; Caroline Staunton: Director; CJ Heaver: Producer ThreeContinue reading “Wagner: Gotterdammerung. Regents Opera, York Hall Bethnal Green: 2/3/25”
Wagner: Siegfried. Regents Opera, York Hall Bethnal Green: 27/2/25
Siegfried: Peter Furlong; Mime: Holden Madagame; Wanderer: Ralf Lukas; Fafner: Craig Lemont Walters; Alberich: Oliver Gibbs; Woodbird: Corinne Hart; Brünnhilde: Catharine Woodward; Erda: Mae Heydorn; Ben Woodward: Music Director and Conductor; Caroline Staunton: Director; CJ Heaver: Producer . Siegfried: Peter Furlong; Mime: Holden Madagame; Wanderer: Ralf Lukas; Fafner: Craig Lemont Walters; Alberich: Oliver Gibbs; Woodbird:Continue reading “Wagner: Siegfried. Regents Opera, York Hall Bethnal Green: 27/2/25”
Wagner: Die Walkure. Regents Opera, York Hall Bethnal Green: 25/2/25
Siegmund: Brian Smith Walters; Sieglinde: Justine Viani; Hunding: Gerrit Paul Groen; Wotan: Ralf Lukas; Fricka: Ingeborg Børch; Brünnhilde: Catharine Woodward; Gerhilde: Charlotte Richardson; Helmwige: Shannon Roberts; Ortlinde: Ella de Jongh; Waltraute: Catherine Backhouse; Schwertleite: Gráinne Gillis; Siegrune: Magdalen Ashman; Grimgerde: Grace Maria Wain; Rossweisse: Caroline Carragher; Ben Woodward: Music Director and Conductor; Caroline Staunton: Director;Continue reading “Wagner: Die Walkure. Regents Opera, York Hall Bethnal Green: 25/2/25”
Wagner: Das Rheingold. Regents Opera, York Hall Bethnal Green: 23/2/25
Woglinde: Jillian Finnamore; Wellgunde: Justine Viani; Flosshilde: Mae Heydorn; Alberich: Oliver Gibbs;Wotan: Ralf Lukas; Fricka: Ingeborg Børch; Loge: James Schouten; Donner: Andrew Mayor; Freia: Charlotte Richardson; Froh: Calvin Lee; Mime: Holden Madagame; Fasolt: Henry Grant Kerswell; Fafner: Craig Lemont Walters; Erda: Mae Heydorn; Ben Woodward: Music Director and Conductor; Caroline Staunton: Director; CJ Heaver: ProducerContinue reading “Wagner: Das Rheingold. Regents Opera, York Hall Bethnal Green: 23/2/25”
Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro, ENO, 17/2/25
Ainārs Rubiķis, Conductor; Joe Hill-Gibbins, Director; Johannes Schütz, Set Designer; Astrid Klein,Costume Designer; Matthew Richardson, Lighting Designer.Cast: Mary Bevan,Susanna; David Ireland, Figaro; Neal Davies, Dr Bartolo; Rebecca Evans, Marcellina; Hanna Hipp, Cherubino; Hubert Francis, Don Basilio / Don Curzio; Nardus Williams, Countess Almaviva; Cody Quattlebaum, Count Almaviva; Trevor Eliot Bowes, Antonio; Ava Dodd, Barbarina ThisContinue reading “Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro, ENO, 17/2/25”
Leonkoro Quartet; Stoller Hall, Manchester, 5/2/25
Haydn String Quartet, Op. 50 No. 5 ‘Dream’; Berg Lyric Suite for String Quartet; Ravel String Quartet Op. 35 This String Quartet was founded in Berlin in 2019 and in 2022 they were awarded first prize at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet competition. The name means ‘Lionheart’ in Esperanto…….. This was a varied concert.Continue reading “Leonkoro Quartet; Stoller Hall, Manchester, 5/2/25”
Janacek, Jenufa: ROHCG, 23/1/25
Conductor, Jakub Hrůša; Jenůfa, Corinne Winters; Kostelničke a Buryjovka, Karita Mattila; Števa Buryja, Thomas Atkins; Laca Klemeň, Nicky Spence; Grandmother Buryjovka, Hanna Schwarz; Foreman, James Cleverton; Mayor, Jonathan Lemalu; Mayor’s Wife, Marie McLaughlin; Karolka, Valentina Puskás; Jana, Isabela DíazThis is the 4th live performance I have heard of Jenufa in the last 4 years, andContinue reading “Janacek, Jenufa: ROHCG, 23/1/25”
Mahler 2, Halle, Wong: Bridgewater Hall, 16/1/25
Kahchun Wong conductor, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha soprano, Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano, Hallé Choir, Hallé Youth Choir: Mahler Symphony No.2, ‘Resurrection’ I first heard Mahler 2 live in 1968, with Haitink, and have been to many fine performances since – it’s a work that seems to bring out the best in performers and, really, I can sayContinue reading “Mahler 2, Halle, Wong: Bridgewater Hall, 16/1/25”
John's musical journey 