The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela has certainly been in the news of late, with pianist Gabriela Montero particularly vocal in the wake of the recent election. But they…
Author: Colin Clarke
A rare outing for Francesco Scarlatti’s Il Daniele nel lago de’ Leon at Wigmore Hall
The rarest of the rare, perhaps, here: an oratorio by Francesco Scarlatti. And you thought Alessandro’s output was elusive. Francesco Scarlatti (1656-1721) was Alessandro’s brother (and uncle, therefore, of Domenico). …
Boulez at 100 and a George Benjamin premiere: Rattle and the LSO in London
Boulez 100, Rattle 70: both nice and buzzy, both true for this season. The two collided in this concert, and how: Boulez’s Éclat (note, not Éclat-Multiples), with Sir Simon at…
PROM 68: Garsington’s Midsummer Magic at the Proms
For its first outing to the Henry Wood Proms, Garsington Opera brought with it not only the luxury vehicle of the Philharmonia Orchestra, but a crack team of soloists –…
PROM 24: Baroque meets Hip-Hop for Purcell’s The Fairy Queen.
Purcell’s ‘other’ stage works are beginning to receive recognition, at last; Dido and Aeneas has held sole sway for too long. Recently, Paul McCreesh recorded King Arthur (1691), while television…
Unalloyed delight: Handel’s Acis and Galatea at Holland Park
This seems to be quite the year for Opera Holland Park: A revelatory Puccini Edgar, a powerful coupling of Wolf-Ferrari (Il segreto di Susanna) and Leoncavallo (Pagliacci), and now the…
A Sign of the Times: the LAPO’s remarkable Fidelio
After a traditionally-framed concert the night before – a John Williams ‘Overture’ (Olympic Fanfare), a ‘Concerto’ (Gabriela Ortiz’s Altar de cuerda) and Dvořäk’s symphony, ’From the New World’ – tradition…
London Handel Festival International Singing Competition Final
With an internationally renowned jury, the London Handel Festival International Singing Competition carries a fair amount of clout. Jurors were: David Gowland (chairman, Artistic Director of the Jette Parker Scheme…
Handel’s Arianna: An unforgettable close to the London Handel Festival’s ‘Spring Awakenings’ festival
This is not the London Handel Festival’s first stab at Handel’s unjustly neglected opera, Arianna in Creta; it was previously staged at the Royal College of Music in March 2014.…
The 2024 Wigmore Hall / Bollinger Song Competition 2024 Final
The Wigmore Hall / Bollinger Song Competition has a distinguished list of previous winners, including Marcus Farnsworth, Julien van Mellaerts, Stephan Loges, Ian Tinsdale, James Baillieu, James Middleton and Christopher…