by John-Pierre Joyce
English National Opera deserves a big round of applause for dipping its feet into the comparatively uncharted waters of French Baroque opera. It tested the…
by Sam Smith
Monteverdi’s Selva Morale e Sprituale of 1641 is a compilation of forty of the church works that he composed over the previous four decades. With...
by Sam Smith
Although not the most frequently performed of Handel’s works today, Radamisto remains the piece that launched his twenty-year domination of London opera. Set in ancient...
by John-Pierre Joyce
The screening of Sergei Eistenstien’s 1938 film Alexander Nevsky at the Barbican Hall had the hallmarks of a big budget première. Seats were sold out;...
by John-Pierre Joyce
There was no getting away from the fact that Joyce Di Donato’s recital of neglected Baroque arias at the Barbican was one big selling opportunity...
by Sam Smith
This new year the Royal Opera House is staging both Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and the ballet Onegin, which utilises the composer’s various concertos, waltzes and...
by John-Pierre Joyce
Kristjan Järvi’s concerts often promise something new and surprising. His latest outing with the London Symphony Orchestra (headlined ‘Balkan Fever’) coupled folk-inspired classical music from...
by Christian Hoskins
The Southbank Centre’s year-long series The Rest is Noise (named after Alex Ross’ award winning book) continued its survey of 20th century music with this...
by Sam Smith
Christian Tetzlaff is a violinist blessed with that rare ability to reveal sensitivity and subtlety in each and every bow stroke. As he proved when...
by Melanie Eskenazi
You could hardly wish for more desirable programming or soloists than we had here – sold out, of course, and culminating in a raucous standing...
by Sam Smith
Whenever a new work comes to the Royal Opera House stage, thoughts tend to focus on the simple question of whether it is a hit...
by John-Pierre Joyce
There was something slightly amiss about this recital of French mélodie by baritone Christopher Maltman and soprano Lucy Crowe, with Graham Johnson on piano. Although...
by John-Pierre Joyce
With a programme of music entitled ‘Venice by Night’, this concert by Baroque ensemble La Serenissima looked destined to be a serving of popular pieces...
by John-Pierre Joyce
Performances of Messiah during the Christmas period can be rather routine, but having an opera company present this most contemplative of Baroque oratorios offered something...
by Sam Smith
Despite La bohème‘s subject matter having as much to do with Christmas as The Nutcrackerit does not enjoy a festive spot at the Royal Opera House with...
by Sam Smith
Giocomo Meyerbeer’s Robert le diable (1831) is the stuff of which Gothic nightmares are made. That may be one reason why this once immensely popular...
by John-Pierre Joyce
Valery Gergiev certainly knows his home grown repertoire, but his decision to feature two distinctly second rank pieces in the first half of this pair...
