Brünnhilde’s Dream: an inventive, expressive and impressive sequence by Rozanna Madylus and Counterpoise at Wigmore Hall

The programme originally planned for this Wigmore Hall recital by the ensemble, Counterpoise, might have been titled ‘Fathers and Daughters’.     A new monodrama integrating speech, sprechstimme and singing, The…

Echo: Ruby Hughes and Huw Watkins at Wigmore Hall

Travelling into central London on Sunday afternoon was a slightly strange experience.  At least there were trains – never a given these strike-strife days – but footfall was light, despite…

Eternal Heaven: Jupiter Ensemble perform Handel at Wigmore Hall

A seamless sequence of beautiful arias and duets by Handel, balancing the secular and the sacred, the tranquil and the tempestuous, the sumptuous and the sophisticated – all brilliantly performed…

The English Concert at Wigmore Hall: Purcell and Blow

Harry Bicket assembled the ‘Dream Team’ for this English Concert programme of music by Henry Purcell and John Blow.  Seven internationally renowned singers were joined by new-kid-on-the-block, countertenor Hugh Cutting,…

A due voci: Iestyn Davies and Hugh Cutting at Wigmore Hall

This truly lovely recital represented the fruits of the introduction of the basso continuo at the end of the sixteenth century, which liberated polyphonic voices from their fundamental harmonic role…

Wolf’s Mörike-Lieder: Anna Prohaska and Christian Gerhaher at Wigmore Hall

A decidedly superior Liederabend, in terms of verse, musical setting, and performance. Hugo Wolf remains a connoisseur’s composer: slightly perplexing, perhaps, but then there is no playing to the gallery,…

A harrowing but very ‘human’ Winterreise from Mark Padmore and Paul Lewis at Wigmore Hall

There could really only be one work with which Mark Padmore would conclude this season residency at Wigmore Hall, a series forming his final solo recitals at the Hall, but…

Mark Padmore and Mitsuko Uchida bring darkness and dreams to Wigmore Hall

Mark Padmore continued his season-residency at Wigmore Hall with a programme of lieder by Beethoven and Schubert.  In the latter’s ‘Ihr Bild’, one of the Heine settings in Schwanengesang, the…

More virtuosic feats from Tenebrae at Wigmore Hall

Tenebrae is one of the UK’s national treasures and like a perfectly manicured county cricket pitch barely a blade of grass is out of place.  Everything in this Wigmore Hall…

A truthful Winterreise from Ian Bostridge and Angela Hewitt at Wigmore Hall

Wunderlicher AlterSoll ich mit dir gehn?Willst zu meinen LiedernDeine Leier drehn? [Strange old man!Shall I go with you?Will you grind your hurdy-gurdyto my songs?] If the answer to the wanderer’s…