Boulez, Éclat; George Benjamin, Interludes and Aria from Lessons in Love and Violence (world premiere); Brahms Symphony No 4. London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle conductor; Barbara Hannigan soprano It was nice to be back in a concert hall after 4 weeks with no live music. This was not a very generous concert, time-wise [thoughContinue reading “Brahms, LSO, Rattle: Barbican, 9/1/25”
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Messiaen, BBC Philharmonic: Bridgewater Hall, 12/12/24
Messiaen Des canyons aux étoiles…Ludovic Morlot, conductor; Martin Owen, horn; Steven Osborne piano Following on from Tuesday’s performance -of La Rondine, I was reflecting on how relatively few years there are between the writing of, say, Turandot and Messiaen’s ‘From the Canyons to the Stars’…no more than about 50 years. That is well within theContinue reading “Messiaen, BBC Philharmonic: Bridgewater Hall, 12/12/24”
Puccini, La Rondine, LSO, Pappano, Barbican: 10/12/24
Concert performance – London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Antonio Pappano conductor; Carolina López Moreno, Magda; Serena Gamberoni, Lisette; Michael Fabiano, Ruggero; Paul Appleby, Prunier; Ashley Riches, Rambaldo; Sarah Dufresne, Yvette/Giorgette; Angela Schisano, Bianca/Gabriele; Marvic Monreal, Suzy/Lolette; London Symphony Chorus Unusually for me, I had made a wrong judgement about seating in booking for this . IContinue reading ” Puccini, La Rondine, LSO, Pappano, Barbican: 10/12/24″
Advent Concert, Wiener Symphoniker. St Stephen’s Cathedral 6/12/24
Stéphane Denève, Conductor; Rosa Feola, soprano; Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; Kate Lindsey, mezzo; Wiener Symphoniker. Programme included – Mass for Choir and Orchestra C major KV 167 “Trinity”, 2. Gloria, Mozart; Laudate Dominum, Mozart; German Dances KV 605, No. 3 C major “Sleigh Ride”, Mozart; ‘Ave Maria” for solo voice and organ, Saint-Saëns; ‘Carillon”, 3rd andContinue reading “Advent Concert, Wiener Symphoniker. St Stephen’s Cathedral 6/12/24”
Pfitzner, Palestrina. Wiener Staatsoper, 5/12/24
Pius IV, Günther Groissböck; Giovanni Morone, Michael Nagy; Bernardo Novagerio, Michael Laurenz; Cardinal Christoph Madruscht, Wolfgang Bankl; Carlo Borromeo, Wolfgang Koch; Palestrina, Michael Spyres; Ighino, Kathrin Zukowski; Silla, Patricia Nolz. Conductor, Christian Thielemann; Director, Herbert Wernicke; Design and Lighting, Herbert Wernicke I spent the late morning and early afternoon in a bit of a pilgrimageContinue reading “Pfitzner, Palestrina. Wiener Staatsoper, 5/12/24”
Elizabeth Brauss, piano. Wigmore Hall, 2/12/24
Bach, Capriccio in B flat (Capriccio on the Departure of his Most Beloved Brother) BWV992; Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat Op. 81a ‘Les Adieux’; Schumann, Geistervariationen WoO. 24; Prokofiev, Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat Op. 83 This recital was entitled ‘Farewell‘ to give it a thematic link – a descriptiveContinue reading “Elizabeth Brauss, piano. Wigmore Hall, 2/12/24”
Dark Century. LPO. Royal Festival Hall, 27/11/24
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrey Boreyko conductor; Gidon Kremer violin; Alexander Roslavets bass, narrator, London Philharmonic Choir. Schoenberg: A Survivor from Warsaw, Op.46; Weinberg: Violin Concerto in G minor, Op.67; Shostakovich: Symphony No.13 in B flat minor (Babi Yar) for bass, chorus & orchestraThe background, in a sense, to this concert is the book by JeremyContinue reading “Dark Century. LPO. Royal Festival Hall, 27/11/24”
Handel Messiah. Westminster Abbey 26/11/24
Choir of Westminster Abbey, Academy of Ancient Music; Andrew Nethsingha, conductor; Anna Dennis, soprano; Tristram Cooke, countertenor; Simon Wall, tenor; Jonathan Brown, bass. Going to this event was a matter of happenstance. I had hoped to be going to the L’Elisir D’Amore production at ENO but had wrongly written down the date of the showContinue reading “Handel Messiah. Westminster Abbey 26/11/24”
Verdi, Rigoletto. ENO, 21/11/24
Weston Hurt, Rigoletto; Yongzhao Yu, Duke of Mantua; Robyn Allegra Parton, Gilda; William Thomas, Sparafucile; Amy Holyland, Maddalena; David Kempster, Monterone. Richard Farnes, Conductor; Jonathan Miller, Director; Elaine Tyler-Hall, Revival Director; Patrick Robertson and Rosemary Vercoe, Designers; Ian Jackson-French, Revival Lighting Designer; Tommy Shaw, Choreographer This is a very famous – and now elderly –Continue reading “Verdi, Rigoletto. ENO, 21/11/24”
Tim Horton, piano: Sheffield, St Marie’s Cathedral. 8/11/24
Mozart 12 Variations ‘Ah Vous Dirai-Je, Maman’ K265; Schoenberg Drei Klavierstücke Op.11; Haydn Piano Sonata In D Hob.Xvi:42; Brahms Drei Intermezzi Op.117; Beethoven Piano Sonata No.23 Op. 57 ‘Appassionata’ This was a interestingly planned recital aimed at demonstrating links between the 1st and 2nd Viennese Schools via Brahms. It also took in several examples ofContinue reading “Tim Horton, piano: Sheffield, St Marie’s Cathedral. 8/11/24”
John's musical journey 