The Wigmore Hall’s complete Schubert Songs series of 40 concerts began with a recital by Florian Boesch and Graham Johnson. (Read my review here). If anything, though, the second concert, where Boesch was accompanied by Malcolm Martineau, was even better. The programme was beautifully planned, and the performance exceptional, even by the very high standards of the Wigmore Hall.
Month: October 2015
Shostakovich Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk – ENO London
It took artistic courage to choose Shostakovich Lady Macbeth of Mtensk to start the ENO’s 2015-2016 season. Shostakovich isn’t an easy sell, and so full of sex and violence that some minds – like Josef Stalin – would be aghast. But Mark Wigglesworth is passionate about Shostakovich , and as new Music Director of the ENO, he’s making a point. Good opera needs artistic vision.
Berg Wozzeck Fabio Luisi Zurich Opera
Zurich Opera brought Alban Berg Wozzeck to the Royal Festival Hall, London . Fabio Luisi conducted Philharmonia Zurich and a very good cast in a concert performance. With all pretence at staging removed (apart from natural good acting) we could focus on the sheer musical audacity of Berg’s writing, and pick up on the processes the music employs to create the drama.
“Nessun Dorma — The Puccini Album”
Sounds swirl with an urgent emotionality and meandering virtuosity on Jonas Kaufmann’s new Puccini album—the “real one”, according
to Kaufmann, whose works were also released earlier this year on Decca records, allegedly without his approval.