Marseille woke up this past January 11 [2013] stunned to find itself number two on the New York Times list of 46 places you should visit in 2013 (Rio was…
Verdi’s Messa da Requiem in Marseille
Like the city itself, this Marseille Requiem reveled in expansive personality. It was a performance that can only be described as exuberant. Taking over from the aged Lawrence Foster as…
A memorable Mahler 3 from The Simón Bolívar and Gustavo Dudamel in London
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…
The Nash Ensemble celebrate 60 years in and with style
There are few composers with an innate ability to write so captivatingly for the human voice as Richard Strauss. Towards the very end of his career, in 1947, he offered…
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…
Kentridge’s Die Zauberflöte adds Christmasy touches at the New National Theatre, Tokyo
In December, Japanese theatres and concert halls customarily perform two blockbusters: Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Now, a third seasonal piece might have been discovered: certainly William Kentridge’s 2005…
Gesualdo Six captivate a full house at St. Cross, Winchester
You can count on the fingers of one hand those a cappella vocal groups within the UK that come close to the finesse of The Gesualdo Six. In terms of…
Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius in memory of Andrew Davis
This was to have been something entirely different: Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ, conducted by Andrew Davis. The death of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s former chief conductor led not only to…
Georgian born and Italian-trained singer George Andguladze debuts at the Royal Opera House
David Truslove talks to the operatic bass George Andguladze who makes his Covent Garden debut as the King of Egypt in Verdi’s Aida. Conducted by Daniel Oren, this is the…