English Touring Opera are delighted to announce a season of lyric monodramas to tour nationally from October to December. The season features music for solo singer and piano by Argento, Britten, Tippett and Shostakovich with a bold and inventive approach to making opera during social distancing.
This tenth of ten Live from London concerts was in fact a recorded live performance from California. It was no less enjoyable for that, and it was also uplifting to learn that this wasn’t in fact the ‘last’ LfL event that we will be able to enjoy, courtesy of VOCES8 and their fellow vocal ensembles (more below …).
Ever since Wigmore Hall announced their superb series of autumn concerts, all streamed live and available free of charge, I’d been looking forward to this song recital by Ian Bostridge and Imogen Cooper.
The Sixteen continues its exploration of Henry Purcell’s Welcome Songs for Charles II. As with Robert King’s pioneering Purcell series begun over thirty years ago for Hyperion, Harry Christophers is recording two Welcome Songs per disc.
Although Stile Antico’s programme article for their Live from London recital introduced their selection from the many treasures of the English Renaissance in the context of the theological debates and upheavals of the Tudor and Elizabethan years, their performance was more evocative of private chamber music than of public liturgy.
In February this year, Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho made a highly lauded debut recital at Wigmore Hall - a concert which both celebrated Opera Rara’s 50th anniversary and honoured the career of the Italian soprano Rosina Storchio (1872-1945), the star of verismo who created the title roles in Leoncavallo’s La bohème and Zazà, Mascagni’s Lodoletta and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.
Evidently, face masks don’t stifle appreciative “Bravo!”s. And, reducing audience numbers doesn’t lower the volume of such acclamations. For, the audience at Wigmore Hall gave soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn and pianist Simon Lepper a greatly deserved warm reception and hearty response following this lunchtime recital of late-Romantic song.
Collapsology. Or, perhaps we should use the French word ‘Collapsologie’ because this is a transdisciplinary idea pretty much advocated by a series of French theorists - and apparently, mostly French theorists. It in essence focuses on the imminent collapse of modern society and all its layers - a series of escalating crises on a global scale: environmental, economic, geopolitical, governmental; the list is extensive.
For this week’s Live from London vocal recital we moved from the home of VOCES8, St Anne and St Agnes in the City of London, to Kings Place, where The Sixteen - who have been associate artists at the venue for some time - presented a programme of music and words bound together by the theme of ‘reflection’.
'Such is your divine Disposation that both you excellently understand, and royally entertaine the Exercise of Musicke.’
Amongst an avalanche of new Mahler recordings appearing at the moment (Das Lied von der Erde seems to be the most favoured, with three) this 1991 Mahler Second from the 2nd Kassel MahlerFest is one of the more interesting releases.
‘And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven … that old serpent … Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’
If there is one myth, it seems believed by some people today, that probably needs shattering it is that post-war recordings or performances of Wagner operas were always of exceptional quality. This 1949 Hamburg Tristan und Isolde is one of those recordings - though quite who is to blame for its many problems takes quite some unearthing.
There was never any doubt that the fifth of the twelve Met Stars Live in Concert broadcasts was going to be a palpably intense and vivid event, as well as a musically stunning and theatrically enervating experience.
‘Love’ was the theme for this Live from London performance by Apollo5. Given the complexity and diversity of that human emotion, and Apollo5’s reputation for versatility and diverse repertoire, ranging from Renaissance choral music to jazz, from contemporary classical works to popular song, it was no surprise that their programme spanned 500 years and several musical styles.
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields have titled their autumn series of eight concerts - which are taking place at 5pm and 7.30pm on two Saturdays each month at their home venue in Trafalgar Square, and being filmed for streaming the following Thursday - ‘re:connect’.
The London Symphony Orchestra opened their Autumn 2020 season with a homage to Oliver Knussen, who died at the age of 66 in July 2018. The programme traced a national musical lineage through the twentieth century, from Britten to Knussen, on to Mark-Anthony Turnage, and entwining the LSO and Rattle too.
With the Live from London digital vocal festival entering the second half of the series, the festival’s host, VOCES8, returned to their home at St Annes and St Agnes in the City of London to present a sequence of ‘Choral Dances’ - vocal music inspired by dance, embracing diverse genres from the Renaissance madrigal to swing jazz.
Just a few unison string wriggles from the opening of Mozart’s overture to Le nozze di Figaro are enough to make any opera-lover perch on the edge of their seat, in excited anticipation of the drama in music to come, so there could be no other curtain-raiser for this Gala Concert at the Royal Opera House, the latest instalment from ‘their House’ to ‘our houses’.
"Before the ending of the day, creator of all things, we pray that, with your accustomed mercy, you may watch over us."
The 2018 London Handel Festival explores Handel’s relationship with the city. Running from 17 March to 16 April 2018, the Festival offers four weeks of concerts, talks, walks & film screenings explore masterpieces by Handel, from semi-staged operas to grand oratorio and lunchtime recitals.
Samir Savant, Festival Director of the London Handel Festival, today announced the programme for its 2018 Festival which takes “Handel in London” as its theme - a four-week celebration of the life and work of Handel, in particular his life as a European who settled in Georgian London, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
This year, the Festival explores Handel’s particular relationship with the capital, his broad and varied musical output in the city he chose to settle in and his broader life in Georgian society. In addition to all the concerts planned, this year’s Festival expands the range of events on offer and presents walks, talks and a film screening focusing on many aspects of Handel’s life beyond his music, such as his expertise in investing and his relationship with health and medicine.
While continuing to present concerts at Handel’s parish church, St George’s, Hanover Square, the Festival expands with events at Wigmore Hall, Foundling Museum, Handel & Hendrix in London, the Charterhouse, as well as St Lawrence's Church, Little Stanmore. The stunning Grade II listed Fitzrovia Hospital Chapel is a new venue for the Festival.
The Festival continues in its ambition to nurture young talent and explore lesser-known repertoire. The internationally acclaimed Handel Singing Competition is in its 16th year, and this year’s Festival features no fewer than 20 past finalists as soloists on various dates.
Samir Savant, Festival Director, said “ I am delighted to present ‘Handel in London’ - our 2018 London Handel Festival. We are packing more than ever into just one month with a wonderful array of performances, ranging from grand opera to intimate chamber recitals, in addition to special walks and talks to highlight Handel’s special relationship with Georgian London. Handel has a valuable message for us today - he was a European immigrant who chose London as his home, and, quite apart from his glorious music, his cosmopolitan tastes and unstoppable commercial energy, and his professed love of his adopted society through his philanthropy, resonate still in our diverse and vibrant capital city .”
Laurence Cummings continues his role as Musical Director of the London Handel Festival. As one of the world’s leading conductors, he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the repertoire, which, combined with his dedication to nurturing young singers, ensures that the Festival remains as distinctive and engaging as ever.
The 2018 London Handel Festival opens with the Foundling Hospital Anthem, written by Handel to raise money for the orphan “foundlings” abandoned on the streets of Georgian London (18 March).
Grand Walk, 1751.
The 2018 London Handel Festival celebrates the 300th anniversary of the very first performance of Acis and Galatea, with a colourful staging of Handel’s popular pastoral opera, taken from Ovid’s Metamorphoses (19 & 21 March).
Amadigi di Gaula , a Good and Evil tale of love, jealousy, betrayal and sorcery, is performed by 2017 Handel Singing Competition winner Maria Ostroukhova and features Michal Czerniawski, Erica Eloff and Ilona Revolskaya (24 March).
Other highlights of this year’s festival include Giulio Cesare, performed by Tim Mead and Anna Devin in the lead roles. Early Opera Company makes its London Handel Festival debut under the baton of Christian Curnyn (11 April).La Nuova Musica, conducted by David Bates will present Teseo, an intriguing work written in five acts in the French tradition, featuring young singers from Royal Academy Opera (12 and 14 April).
2018 marks the 16th anniversary of the Handel Singing Competition which has given now established artists and past finalists such asIestyn Davies, Ruby Hughes and Lucy Crowe valuable exposure and recognition. The London Handel Festival has always had the nurturing of young talent at the centre of its artistic policy and a 2017 Finalists Recital at the Fitzrovia Hospital Chapel (20 March) and ‘Mr Handel’s Scholars’ concert with Laurence Cummings and the London Handel Orchestra (23 March) will celebrate the Competition’s legacy. The Semi-Final and Final of the 2018 Handel Singing Competition will take place on 28 March and 10 April .
Alongside all its innovations, the 2018 edition of the London Handel Festival will present its well-loved landmarks. The annual sell-out performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion on Good Friday returns with previous competition finalists George Humphreys and Nathan Vale, and the annual visit to Wigmore Hall will see Adrian Butterfield direct Esther (22 March, returns only).
A special performance of Handel’s Water Music, directed by Walter Reiter, performed for schools by students from Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music & Dance is designed to encourage children to gain an understanding of Handel and his life and works (29 March).
Public booking opened on 30th January 2018. Book tickets
here
http://www.london-handel-festival.com/