The inspiration for Delius’s The Magic Fountain (1895) stems from his time in Florida, when he ran an orange plantation for his father. It was the first in a trilogy…
Month: October 2025
An all-British line-up with the Sinfonia of London
These days it’s comparatively rare to come across a concert programme consisting entirely of works by different British composers, performed by an orchestra made up of mostly British-born musicians, with…
Wexford’s Riveting Blend of Comedy and Tragedy in Handel’s Last Italian Opera
In the last three or so of his operas, Handel demonstrated a fascinating move towards mixing elements of comedy within the format of opera seria that he had worked with…
Verdi’s Il trovatore Becomes Subdued in its French Version at Wexford
Famous for presenting rare operatic repertoire, it might come as a surprise to find Il trovatore programmed to open this year’s Wexford Festival. Presented in its French version, however, this…
Manchester Camerata at Wigmore Hall
It’s amazing what can change in three-quarters of an hour. This short lunchtime concert at Wigmore Hall presented some remarkable music in superb performances: the known, the lesser-known and the…
Vibrant and Comic Portrayals from ENO’s Albert Herring
“This isn‘t our sort of thing, you know”, was the remarkable response by Glyndebourne’s founder John Christie to Benjamin Britten’s second chamber opera at its premiere in 1947. No less…
The Trees are Alive with the Sound of Music in Glyndebourne’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Glyndebourne’s programming of Britten’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for its autumn season might seem somewhat eccentric. But with summer now a fading memory and as October wears on,…
Arvo Pärt at 90 with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir & Tallin Chamber Orchestra at the Barbican
Since the first recording of his music in 1984 on the German label ECM, Arvo Pärt has attracted a huge following and an international reputation. With a significant birthday for…
Britten and Mahler From the Concertgebouw’s Crack Chamber Ensemble
Death is the great leveller, affecting all individuals irrespective of nationality, ethnicity or creed. It comes to us all, each and every one of us, and the most prescient of…
Opera Baltimore and OperaDelaware’s Tosca: Viva To The Diva
It’s been said that opera companies program Tosca as an “easy” way to end their season. It is, after all, an opera that focuses on only three principal characters, and…