Established in 2001, the French period instrument ensemble Les Paladins specialises in the performance and recording of rarely performed Baroque repertoire. The name derives from Rameau’s last comédie lyrique, and…
Author: David Truslove
An enchanting Didon et Énée from the Château de Versailles by Opéra Royal
How often do we see a fully staged performance of Purcell’s only opera where English music and French spectacle combine to such striking effect? If a production could be termed…
A Walküre to Divide Opinion from Opéra Bastille
How we respond to the second instalment of Calixto Bieito’s Ring cycle at Opéra Bastille may depend on your capacity to accept boundary-pushing challenges, or how comfortable you feel with a…
ENO’s Dead Man Walking Asks the Big Questions
“Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating”. This much-quoted line from Dietrich von Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) – a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident – could encapsulate the essence…
All Aboard for Glyndebourne’s The Railway Children
Dramatic intrigue and heart-warming nostalgia are perfectly matched in E. Nesbit‘s The Railway Children – the author’s enduring tale that first appeared in serialised form in 1905. Over five decades…
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…
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…
Welsh National Opera’s Frothy Candide Showcases Its Pythonesque Humour
Welsh National Opera’s Candide has returned as part of its autumn season and, due to stringent Arts Council cuts, it’s one of only two productions, neither of which are new.…
Proms 2025 – Riveting performance of Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District
A wailing clarinet, a forlorn cor anglais and a post-coital trombone could hardly have been more ear-catching in this arresting performance of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk given at the Royal…
Clare Presland & The Rape of Lucretia with English Touring Opera
Clare Presland sings the role of Lucretia in English Touring Opera’s new production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, opening at London’s Hackney Empire on 4 October before touring across…