Author: Anne Ozioro

At the Wigmore Hall, the London premiere of a major new work by Howard Skempton, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, with Roderick Williams and BCMG, the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

During this exploration of music from the Austro-German Baroque, Florilegium
were joined by the baritone Roderick Williams in a programme of music which
placed the music and career of J.S. Bach in the context of three older
contemporaries: Franz Tunder (1614-67), Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1701) and
Heinrich Biber (1644-1704).

Charismatic charm, vivacious insouciance, fervent passion, dejected
self-pity, blazing anger and stoic selflessness: Zaz‡ — a chanteuse
raised from the backstreets to the bright lights — is a walking compendium of
emotions.

‘Stay away from doctors; they are bad for your health.’ This seems to be the central message of L’Ospedale – a one-hour opera by an unknown seventeenth-century composer, with a libretto by Antonio Abati which presents a satirical critique of the medical profession of the day and those who had the misfortune to need curative treatment for their physical and mental ills.

‘In these times of heightened security … we are listening, watching …’

Arrigo Boito Mefistofele was broadcast livestream from the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich last night. What a spectacle !

The world premiere of Morgen und Abend by Georg Friedrich Haas at the Royal Opera House, London — so conceptually unique and so unusual that its originality will confound many.

Another highlight of the Wigmore Hall complete Schubert Song series – Christoph PrÈgardien and Christoph Schnackertz. The core Wigmore Hall Lieder audience were out in force. These days, though, there are young people among the regulars : a sign that appreciation of Lieder excellence is most certainly alive and well at the Wigmore Hall. .

An intelligent updating and outstanding performance of the title role lead to a shattering climax in Puccini’s Japanese opera