BREAKING NEWS: Classical Music

The week in classical: BBCSO Total Immersion: Pierre Boulez; RLPO/ Hindoyan: Mahler Symphony No 3; Joyce DiDonato and Maxim Emelyanychev – review

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 12:00:21 +0000

Barbican, London; Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool; Wigmore Hall, London
An invigorating all-day tribute to the maverick French composer-conductor felt like the end of an era. Plus, heartfelt Mahler and a star mezzo’s Winterreise

At a talk about Pierre Boulez (1925-2016) at the Barbican last Sunday, one of the speakers dared suggest that the BBC is no longer the cultural beacon it was in the French composer-conductor’s lifetime. The exhalation of oufs and pffs from the audience – reminiscent of one of those short, avant-garde pieces consisting only of outbursts of breath that Boulez himself might have written – was indicative: part you’re stating the obvious, part how can you say the unsayable in a discussion being broadcast on BBC Radio 3. After some hasty throat clearing, the matter was clarified: other platforms now exist, from YouTube to Spotify to TikTok to all the rest. We are our own curators. The very next day, tacitly acknowledging its changed status, the BBC admitted it faced an unprecedented financial challenge, with an annual income drop of £1bn compared with 15 years ago. Its chair, Samir Shah, said (among other things) that the BBC still had a vital role as “the place where people come together for unforgettable shared moments”.

Later this month, the new season of Proms, the biggest coming together for classical music, will be announced. The BBC orchestras and BBC Singers, endangered for as long as anyone can remember, will play a central part. However sceptical we may be about aspects of Radio 3, or its new sibling, Classical Unwind – designed to awaken the senses and simultaneously relax you into sleep – their very presence is still remarkable. This thought pressed constantly, and urgently, at Total Immersion: Pierre Boulez, an all-day BBC Symphony Orchestra tribute to the brilliant and paradoxical maverick who, in his time as the ensemble’s chief conductor (1971-74), shook up concert life – including the Proms, with his Roundhouse series.

Spotlight. Contrasting Elements

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Geoff Pearce gradually discovers the charm and skill of music by Justin Connolly. '... beautifully played.'

Telling a musical story: violinist James Ehnes on the challenges and rewards of his new recording of Bach's violin concertos with Canada's NAC Orchestra

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 06:35:22 +0000

James Ehnes & NAC Orchestra - National Arts Centre, Canada (Photo: Curtis Perry)

Violinist James Ehnes has a long relationship with Canada's National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra having made his debut with them in 1993, and he was artist in residence from 2021 to 2024. James also has a long relationship with the music of Bach, recording the complete Partitas and Sonatas in 2000 (re-recording them in 2020/21 on Onyx), and the Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord in 2006 on Analekta. Now these two strands have come together with the release last month of his recording of Bach's complete violin concertos with the NAC Orchestra on Analekta. The disc includes not only Bach's well-known concertos in A minor and E minor, the Double Concerto and the Concerto for Violin, Flute, and Harpsichord in A minor, but also four concertos reconstructed from Bach's harpsichord concertos.

I recently chatted to James, whilst he was in Adelaide, about his new disc, styles of Bach performance and how getting older has given him perspective, reconstructing Bach's lost violin concertos, differences between live and studio recording and finding the ideal recording process, and much more.

James explains that he always hoped to have a chance to record Bach's violin concertos, but for him, most successful recordings are those where everything peaks at the right moment (and he points out that this is true of live performance also). He has had a long relationship with both the NAC and the NAC Orchestra, having been artist in residence and toured with them. The last decade has been particularly special, so this seemed like the perfect time to capture something of that relationship. James knows the players well and the concertmaster, Yosuke Kawasaki (who joins James for the Double Concerto) is a friend from school. With the orchestra, James feels that he has as close, open and transparent relationship as possible which allows all to be active participants in the music. And they are supported by a great team at the NAC too, whilst the recording's producer worked on James' first Bach recordings.

Regarding the style of playing Bach, James feels that getting older has given him perspective; the way you are told that something should be, changes over the years. He has found this liberating, he no longer feels that he has to play in a particular way but that he can concentrate on telling a musical story. This is even more complicated with Baroque music, and whilst historical performance practice is important, he also feels that musicians can learn from performances of all ages. He mentions that we tend to have a recency bias, feeling that what we have just been told is best. This has probably always been true, and Mendelssohn probably felt this about the way he performed Bach. We can imagine Mendelssohn's performances of Bach being different to those of Bach himself but no less compelling. This is timeless music that always speaks through a prism of our own time.

He feels that there is a parallel to the new music world, where there were times in the 20th century when composers felt obligated to write in a certain way, but there is less of that now. People can be themselves, and be appreciated for what they can offer. It is similar with Bach, which he has heard described as zombie music, i.e. impossible to kill! There are now so many ways to perform Bach and he does not focus on being right, but on telling a compelling story to listeners.

He has tried to expose himself to a lot of different performance perspectives but feels no responsibility to play Bach the way someone else feels that it ought to be. He sees his role as being that of playing the music the way it speaks to him. This means that there will be differences each time he plays the music. There is a risk, and there will always be those who disagree with him. He has seen Bach performances that were slow and heavy, light and fast, metronomic, and free. All were different and none were right. As he has got older, he has become less paralysed by thinking that this performance is his ultimate one. Simply, a performance is just the way he felt the music at the time.

The disc, of course, includes the concertos that James grew up with, what he calls the big three. But over the years he discovered that there were other concertos. He knew the D minor concerto in its surviving form as a keyboard concerto and it was pointed out to him about its origins as a violin concerto, something he finds very convincing. He became fascinated and rather got into the archaeology/detective work involved in how Bach would take a piece and then transform it, and there are plenty of surviving examples of this. With Bach, we see his finished product as logical and inevitable, but going back to an earlier version is harder, what James refers to as reviolinifying the harpsichord solo. But it was interesting the way the concertos came alive as violin concertos. The Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052R, is a bigger work than the A minor concerto and is more virtuosic.

James admits that he is a bit of a completist, if he likes one he wants all of them, so if you do three or four concertos then why not all of them? He did not want to give the impression that the reconstructed concertos are not important or that he did not like them. Also, having the concertos all in one place gives an interesting overview of Bach's violin concerto writing, and a better sense of their breadth. There is great variety here, showcasing four different Bachs - the intellectual, the virtuoso, the emotional and the songwriter.

When it comes to recording Bach, there is one more project that is just a gleam in James' eye at the moment. He has enjoyed performing the Brandenburg Concertos and would love to record them with the NAC Orchestra as the players are friends, amazing both as people and as musicians.

Other recordings in the works include a set of Brahms' sonatas which have been recorded but not released yet, and there is a fair amount of chamber music from James' Seattle Chamber Music Society which has been recorded but not released yet. When we talk about recording (and he has released a significant number of discs over the years), he refers to recording as a compulsion. He admits that the recording process is not strictly enjoyable and is stressful, but it is valuable experience and he has learned so much from it, immensely valuable lessons about his own playing. He admits that in a strategic sense, his recording career has not been handled practically. He tends to record what he wants, taking up projects as they come, if they feel right. Sometimes this means his discs cluster together, rather than being spread out logically. Having a recording schedule would be ideal, but this is not the reason he makes recordings.

At the end of his life, the conductor Sir Andrew Davis made recordings of pieces that were important to him, this means that James, at short notice, recorded with Sir Andrew. James did the recordings because they felt right, and admits that they might not have happened at all if he had worried about his schedule.

James has recorded most of the major repertoire, but some things come up again and he finds he has something different to say. He talks about going back to his favourite musicians and listening to their recordings from different periods. If he records a work again, it is not because he is dissatisfied with the earlier disc, but because the new recording is simply a different picture. The old recording still has value, he was a different person back then, but different now.

Regarding live recording, he admits that this is tricky partly because this means different things at different times. A live recording with an orchestra might be a composite from recordings made at the dress rehearsal and three performances, plus a patch session, and at other times it might be a pure live recording. Some pieces lend themselves to one process or the other, and he has no preferred process. Whilst there is something to be gained from live performance, he feels that having time in the studio with a producer with whom you can work closely means that you can find special things. Sometimes real intimacy is hard, trying to create intimacy for ears in wildly different places; with a live concerto recording the microphone is two feet away from the soloist, whilst the back row of the balcony is 100s of feet away, giving a very different listening experience. Then again, a studio recording can get caught up in the weeds, whilst you get ineffable feedback from live performance.

At Seattle Chamber Music Society they do the dress rehearsal with the microphones on, which gives them a chance to listen. They learn a lot from listening back, this is the last stage of the artists' growth, so that when it comes to the concert they feel they know what to achieve and how.

James Ehnes

When James and I spoke, he was in Adelaide having just flown in from Melbourne, as part of a large tour of Australia and New Zealand, with his wife and children with him. They started in New Zealand on 18 February, and the tour covers Auckland, Tasmania, Sydney Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide as well as some vacation at the end before flying back to the USA on 20 April! He loves Australia and New Zealand, having been travelling there for 17 years, the countries have been good to him and it is lovely to come back.

JS Bach: The Complete Violin Concertos

Concerto for Solo Violin in A minor, BWV 1041
Concerto for Solo Violin in E Major, BWV 1042
Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043
Concerto for Violin, Flute, and Harpsichord in A minor, BWV 1044
Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor, BWV 1060R
Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052R
Concerto in G minor, BWV 1056R
Concerto for Three Violins in D Major, BWV 1064R
ANALEKTA

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Elsewhere on this blog

Powerful stuff: Ukrainian composer Boris Lyatoshynsky's dramatic war-inspired symphony alongside Prokofiev's Semyon Kotko - concert review
Imagination & sense of drama: John Weldon's 1701 prize-winning The Judgement of Paris in its first recording from Academy of Ancient Music & Cambridge Handel Opera Co - record review
Up close and personal: David Butt Philip & Friends Gala at St Paul's Opera, Clapham - opera review
Pure enjoyment: Peter Moore & Tredegar Band give the first recording of Simon Dobson's concerto for Moore - record review
Bespoke Songs: soprano Fotina Naumenko on commissioning four composers for works for soprano and diverse ensembles - interview
Richard Strauss at the Deutsche Oper Berlin:

Elektra & Intermezzo - opera review
Arabella with Jennifer Davis & Heidi Stober - opera review

Traces of trauma: Britten Sinfonia premiere Michael Zev Gordon's A Kind of Haunting marking 80th anniversary of the end of WWII - concert review
Letter from Florida: Stéphane Denève & New World Symphony on impressive form in Britten's War Requiem - concert review
Drawing you in: young Uruguayan counter-tenor Agustin Pennino in a nadmirably ballsy programme at London Transport Museum - concert review
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Hamburg State Opera shows how the uniqueness of La fanciulla in Puccini’s output makes it treasurable

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 22:56:34 +0000

Puccini, La fanciulla del West: Soloists, Chor der Hamburgischen Staatsoper, Philharmonishces Staatsorchester Hamburg / Antonino Fogliani (conductor). Staatsoper Hamburg, 4.4.2025. (SRT) When I first started getting into opera and discovered that Puccini had written a Western, La fanciulla del West struck me as a complete absurdity. Now it is probably the work of Puccini’s that ... Read more

Jurowski and the LPO’s phenomenal performance of a wonderful Lyatoshynsky symphony

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 22:50:50 +0000

Prokofiev, Mussorgsky (arr. Denisov), Lyatoshynsky: Matthew Rose (bass), London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski (conductor). Royal Festival Hall, London, 2.4.2025. (CC) Prokofiev – Selection from Semyon Kotko, Op.81bis (1938-9/1943) Mussorgsky (arr. Denisov) – Songs and Dances of Death (arr.1983) Boris Lyatoshynsky – Symphony No.3 (1951) Part of the LPO’s Moments Remembered series, this concert offered ... Read more

Pianist Joyce Yang finds emotional throughlines in works by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Robert Schumann

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 22:49:25 +0000

Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and R. Schumann: Joyce Yang (piano). San Francisco Performances, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, 1.4.2025. (HS) Beethoven – Piano Sonata No.3 in E-flat major, Op.31 Rachmaninoff – Six Preludes (Op.32, No.1, 5, 10, 12, 13; Op.24, No.4) R. Schumann – Kreisleriana, Op.16 Joyce Yang knows how to connect with an audience. In the American ... Read more

Lawsuits, Leadership Change, Drama At Opera Carolina

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 18:15:00 +0000

Opera Carolina and its business director are embroiled in a lawsuit with the former production director amid a leadership shakeup that’s as dramatic and intense as an opera performance itself. – Charlotte Observer

A Short History Of Dance Music

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:13:34 +0000

Being based underground enhanced the atmosphere in the clubs. Attendees were simultaneously part of an underground movement and also literally hidden from view from the adult world. – The Conversation

Living Voices: ten new choral works by Russell Hepplewhite setting contemporary poetic responses to our world today

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 14:23:14 +0000

I first came across Russell Hepplewhite's work in 2013 when English Touring Opera (ETO) performed the award-winning Laika the Spacedog. He went on to write more for ETO and for companies such as London Youth Opera, whilst Laika the Spacedog went on to have productions in Switzerland and at the Opera Comique in Paris. More recently, in February 2024 his first opera for adults, The Crash premiered in Oldenburg, Germany.

Now Hepplewhite has a new choral project, Living Voices; ten choral pieces each setting a contemporary poet commissioned to create poetic responses to our world today. The idea for Living Voices originated with Hepplewhite, who invited the poets to offer their diverse reflections on the nuances of modern life. The resulting poems explore a wide spectrum of human experience - birth and death, youth and age, sickness and health, landscape and memory. The emotional scope of the collection is equally varied, encompassing pieces that are light-hearted and comic alongside those that are profound and moving.

The choruses are being premiered around the country by selected choirs, beginning tomorrow in Devon when Exeter Festival Chorus performs Hepplewhite's setting of Wendy Cope's I Wake.

Full details of all performances from the Stainer & Bell website.

To the Beat: The National Youth Orchestra's Spring tour, featuring Jennifer Higdon's Percussion Concerto with Jordan Ashman

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:50:36 +0000

The National Youth Orchestra's Spring tour, To the Beat

The National Youth Orchestra's Spring tour, To the Beat, kicks off at Birmingham Town Hall on 14 April 1014. Taking in Birmingham, the Roundhouse in London (15 April), Sheffield City Hall (16 April) and Bridgewater Hall, Manchester (18 April), the orchestra will be conducted by Paolo Bortolameolli and Joana Carneiro.

The programme features the Percussion Concerto written by American composer Jennifer Higdon with soloist Jordan Ashman. Ashman is an alumnus of NYO Inspire and won the 2022 BBC Young Musician Grand Final with his performance of Higdon's Percussion Concerto.

Higdon's concerto was written in 2005 for percussionist Colin Currie and dedicated to him. The work features a large battery of instruments, from vibraphone and marimba (a favourite instrument of dedicatee Colin Currie), to non-pitched smaller instruments (brake drum, wood blocks, Peking Opera gong), and to the drums themselves.

Alongside this work the orchestra plays the 1947 version of Stravinsky's ballet, Petrushka, and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein's 1960 suite from the 1957 musical. The original musical was orchestrated by Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal, and it was they who prepared the expanded orchestration of the suite, under Bernstein's supervision.

Tickets for all performances are free for teenages. Full details of To the Beat from the National Youth Orchestra's website.

San Francisco’s Fillmore Jazz Festival Canceled

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:31:00 +0000

“Originally scheduled for July 5-6, the (free) festival, which attracts more than 50,000 attendees annually to San Francisco’s historic Fillmore district, will not take place this summer due to ongoing financial challenges. Tim Omi, president of the association, said in a statement, ‘2025 is not financially viable.’” – San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

Spotlight. Something of a Miracle

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Gerald Fenech strongly recommends music from a mysterious manuscript, played by Mathilde Vialle, Thibaut Roussel, Ronan Khalil and Zachary Wilder. '... this reading possesses a fluent and exuberant aura that brings out all of Bach's genius with enviable clarity and superbly controlled tempi.'

LPO/Jurowski review – conflict and loss power Russian-Ukrainian concert

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 11:01:41 +0000

Royal Festival Hall, London
Timely take on pieces by Prokofiev, Mussorgsky and Lyatoshynsky masterfully encapsulated the continuing struggle between war and peace

It felt as though war and peace were locked in a battle for the very soul of this concert of Russian and Ukrainian music, a savage reminder three years on of the brutal invasion of one country by the other.

Things got off to an inauspicious start. Even conductor emeritus Vladimir Jurowski’s powers of persuasion couldn’t disguise the fact that Semyon Kotko is second-rate Sergei Prokofiev. Set in rural Ukraine, his 1940 opera ran into difficulties from the start: after Stalin and Hitler signed their notorious non-aggression treaty, a drama filled with marauding hordes of German invaders was distinctly on the nose. An orchestral suite was the composer’s way of getting some of it heard, but for all his evident warmth for the Ukrainian countryside (Prokofiev grew up in Donetsk), the inspiration struggles to rise above the commonplace. The most original movement here featured a garish execution sequence with more than a whiff of the firing squad about it.

Powerful stuff: Ukrainian composer Boris Lyatoshynsky's dramatic war-inspired symphony alongside marvellous music from Prokofiev's Ukraine-themed opera, Semyon Kotko

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 10:47:02 +0000

Prokofiev: Suite from Semyon Kotko - Vladimir Jurowski, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Royal Festival Hall (Photo: Marc Gascoigne)

Prokofiev, Mussorgsky/Denisov, Lyatoshynsky; Matthew Rose, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski; London Festival Hall
Reviewed 2 April 2025

Ukrainian composer Boris Lyatoshynsky's magnum opus, his war-inspired symphony at the centre of a powerful programme that also included Prokofiev's marvellous music from his neglected opera Semyon Kotko

As part of the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Moments Remembered series at the Royal Festival Hall, conductor emeritus Vladimir Jurowski conducted a programme centred on Ukrainian composer Boris Lyatoshynsky's Symphony No. 3, a work written in 1951 and coming directly out of the composer's experience of the Second World War. To begin the programme, the Ukrainian theme continued with Prokofiev's suite from his final opera, Semyon Kotko which depicts wartime struggle in a Ukrainian village. Not uncontroversially, between these two, Jurowski placed Mussorgsky's song cycle Songs and Dances of Death in the orchestration by Edison Denisov with bass Matthew Rose.

Mussorgsky/Denisov: Songs & Dances of Death - Vladimir Jurowski, Matthew Rose, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Royal Festival Hall (Photo: Marc Gascoigne)

Semyon Kotko was the first of Prokofiev's two operas written on a Soviet subject and adhering to the tenets of Soviet realism. It was intended to have a first production directed by Prokofiev's friend, Vsevolod Meyerhold, who was at that time the director of the Stanislavsky Opera Theatre. But the whole project seemed in danger when Meyerhold was arrested on 20 June 1939 and disappeared (he was shot in 1940). The production did happen and was respectably received, but the opera was set in a Ukrainian village in 1918 with fighting between the Red Army and the Germans. Semyon Kotko got mired in the Soviet Union's complex relationship with Nazi Germany in 1939 and 1940, and after 1941 the opera was not produced. It only reappeared in 1958 in Brno, entering Russian opera theatres in the 1970s. It is still a rarity, and any UK performances have relied on visiting Russian opera companies.

As if sensing these problems, in 1943 Prokofiev created a suite from the opera. In eight movements, we heard six of them including missing out the triumphal final movement. Vladimir Jurowski's father Michail Jurowski was a great champion of the suite. This is the Prokofiev of the famous ballets, with the ability to conjure lyricism and ravishing textures along with something more pointed. '

Introduction' was lyric pastoral, yet full of colour with a sense of disturbance underneath the classicism. 'Semyon and his mother' continued the mood, introducing folk-like material, whilst 'The Southern Night' featured a marvellous long-breathed cello melody (quasi Romeo & Juliet) over a gorgeous orchestral texture. 'Execution' broke the mood with colourful and vivid violence, yet there were eerily disturbing elements too with the use of a strangely jaunty melody. 'The Village is Burning' began with lyricism threaded through with anxiety leading to moments of real violence. We ended with the penultimate movement, 'Funeral' with its tragic unfurling of a melody over a steady, inexorable beat, ultimately treading to nothing.

The music from the suite seemed marvellous and you wondered why we don't hear it more often, and more to the point, whether the whole opera holds up.

Mussorgsky wrote Songs and Dances of Death for voice and piano, and though he had intentions to orchestrate the work, the piano version is much more than an orchestral sketch. [In their 2017 recording, Kathleen Broderick and Sergei Rybin demonstrated the work's almost Debussy-esque qualities, see my review]. Rimsky Korsakov and Glazunov orchestrated the work after Mussorgsky's death, thus contributing to the impression that the piano version is somehow unfinished. Shostakovich also made a version, as did the composer Edison Denisov (1929-1996) whose version was heard here. Denisov used a wide tonal palate with a large orchestra, yet used it delicately so that in each song the voice was showcased, surrounded by an aura of sound that never dominated. This was a version that brought out the remarkable nature of Mussorgsky's original piano part.

The presentation of the work highlighted a number of issues. Why engage an English speaking singer for a work where the conversational nature of the Russian dialogue is so important. Couldn't we have heard it in English, or would that be regarded as sacrilege? And given that it was in Russian, why did the printed programme feature only Cyrillic and the English translation, so the average audience member was unable to follow Matthew Rose's detailed approach to the text, creating a sense of frustration with the performance.

Rose took a rather sober view of the piece, and offered little in the way of operatic drama that some singers bring to it. In many ways, the orchestral version is almost a series of short, highly dramatic quasi-operatic scenes. 'Lullaby' was spare and remarkably sober, whilst 'Serenade' was notable for the magical textures in Denisov's orchestration which contrasted with Rose's somewhat implacable Death figure. The vivid colour in 'Trepak' was in the orchestra, though the dance element took time to take off. Rose was strong in 'The Field Marshall' but not quite fearsome, only implacable towards the end when in fact he was overshadowed by the orchestra. But then it was clearly Jurowski's performance. Rose was place at an angle on the platform so he had a clear view of Jurowski, and throughout the cycle it felt as if Rose was singing to Jurowski rather than us, that we were eavesdropping on the event rather than communicating directly.

Born in the Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire, Boris Lyatoshynsky (1895-1968) studied with Reinhold Glière, and his mature music drew inspiration from modern European styles as well as Glière, and Ukrainian folk music. He would write five symphonies, two operas. Though his music was sanctioned by the Soviet authorities and his Symphony No. 2 was banned, Lyatoshynsky never adhered to Soviet realism in style, though perhaps as a consequence many of his compositions were rarely performed during his lifetime.

His Symphony No. 3 was written in 1951 and though premiered in Kyiv, it was criticised by authorities because of the finale with its subtitle of 'Peace shall defeat war'. Rather than see the work banned, Lyatoshynsky gave in and refashioned the finale so that it pleased the authorities, but the original version has been receiving more currency and that is what we heard.

The work's opening gesture was certainly uncompromising, full of menace with striking use of silence. This led to the opening 'Allegro impetuoso' with its fast, remarkably jagged first theme that felt not unlike Walton at times, and a contrasting folk melody that was sombre and rather chant-like. Anxiety and violence were a feature of the development section with moments of astonishing power. The movement concluded with a recapitulation of the earlier material, with a final, triumphant full-orchestral return of the folk melody. The slow movement began in gentle tranquillity, but became more intense with a big cello melody that seemed to come out of film music, when the folk melody from the first movement appeared it was accompanied by a steady tread that became implacable, yet we finished by returning to more intimate, tender music.

The third movement was fast, vivid and unstoppable, yet this changed to a strange, eerie transformation of the folk melody which became a waltz, but instead of a return to the opening material the music erupted into violence, before evaporating. The finale returned to the symphony's opening gesture, yet not made more open and resolute and the movement had a strong sense of revisiting earlier material looking at it with new eyes, and ears. A mare martial element in the development blossomed into a full-blown triumphal statement leading to a climax with noisy bells.

Boris Lyatoshynsky: Symphony No. 3 - Vladimir Jurowski, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Royal Festival Hall (Photo: Marc Gascoigne)

It is difficult, now, to see what the Soviet authorities found so objectionable in the work, but what is undoubtedly true is that it is a powerful and closely argued piece. Lyatoshynsky's contemporary usage of symphonic form certainly owed something to contemporaries like Shostakovich, but his approach to symphonic form rather reminded me of Nielsen, whilst Lyatoshynsky's own voice was clear. This was a terrific performance from all concerned, and such was the stature of the work that it made me want to hear more of Lyatoshynsky's work in the concert hall.

Never miss out on future posts by following us

The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

Imagination & sense of drama: John Weldon's 1701 prize-winning The Judgement of Paris in its first recording from Academy of Ancient Music & Cambridge Handel Opera Co - record review
Up close and personal: David Butt Philip & Friends Gala at St Paul's Opera, Clapham - opera review
Pure enjoyment: Peter Moore & Tredegar Band give the first recording of Simon Dobson's concerto for Moore - record review
Bespoke Songs: soprano Fotina Naumenko on commissioning four composers for works for soprano and diverse ensembles - interview
Richard Strauss at the Deutsche Oper Berlin:

Elektra & Intermezzo - opera review
Arabella with Jennifer Davis & Heidi Stober - opera review

Traces of trauma: Britten Sinfonia premiere Michael Zev Gordon's A Kind of Haunting marking 80th anniversary of the end of WWII - concert review
Letter from Florida: Stéphane Denève & New World Symphony on impressive form in Britten's War Requiem - concert review
Drawing you in: young Uruguayan counter-tenor Agustin Pennino in a nadmirably ballsy programme at London Transport Museum - concert review
Reshaping the narrative: Leslie Korngold on the historic release of his grandfather's recording of his Symphony - interview
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John McCabe: Pastorale Sostenuto for organ (1965)

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 05:24:00 +0000

Whilst recently revisiting Alun Hoddinott’s Intrada for organ, I discovered John McCabe’s short Pastorale Sostenuto in the same volume. It was written in 1965 as a commission from Oxford University Press for the first of two volumes of Easy Modern Organ Music, which was duly published in 1967. Other works in this album included Kenneth Leighton’s Fanfare, William Mathias’s Chorale, Christopher Brown’s Nocturne, and Arnold Cooke’s Impromptu.

John McCabe (1939-2015) was a distinguished British composer and concert pianist. Born in Huyton, Liverpool, he was inspired by the music-filled environment of his childhood. He wrote over 150 works, including symphonies, ballets, and solo piano pieces. Notable compositions include the orchestral song cycle Notturni ed Alba and the Concerto for Orchestra, which brought him international recognition. McCabe also served as the director of the London College of Music from 1983 to 1990.

Apart from the Pastorale, McCabe also wrote a Nocturne for the companion series, Modern Organ Music Book 1, (1965). Important works for Novello include the Sinfonia (1961), Dies Resurrectionis (1963), Le Poisson Magique (1964), Johannis Partita (1964), Prelude (in Music before Service) (1964), and Elegy (1965). McCabe's organ music often features intricate counterpoint and rich harmonic language, demonstrating his profound understanding of the instrument's capabilities.

The Pastorale Sostenuto is a miniature, lasting for about three minutes. It is written in binary form. A solo flute-like figure is heard in the opening bars, which then dominates the piece:

Played initially by the right hand only, it is joined by soft, dissonant chords on the swell. Repeated over and over again it is soon accompanied with a counterpoint of the above figure in inversion. There are several changes of time signature, between 6/8 and 9/8. The ‘trio’ section is based on an eight-note figure:

This is reiterated eight times supported by triads in root position or first inversion. The final part of the work reprises the opening theme, this time in the tenor register. It is complemented by chords of the seventh, before the Pastorale concludes with a long, sustained chord and a final allusion to the main theme in the upper register.

The impact of this piece is well summed up by the word “hypnotic” or even “minimalist.” It is not hard to imagine a classical background revelling in Theocritean shepherds or even Pan himself.

The John McCabe Bio-Bibliography (Stewart R. Craggs, Greenwood Press, 1991) gives little information about this work. Apart from the publication data, the author was unable to trace the premiere performance. To my knowledge, it has not been recorded for LP or CD.

Listen to John McCabe’s Pastorale Sostenuto on YouTube, here. It is played by Rhys Arvidson on the William Anderson Pipe Organ located in the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Williamstown, Melbourne Australia.

Bartók: Piano Works album review

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 17:17:38 +0000

Sonya Bach
(Rubicon)
In six carefully selected works, the Korean pianist tracks the evolution of Bartók’s keyboard music but doesn’t tell the whole story

The six works in Sonya Bach’s collection are well-chosen to provide a handy guide to the evolution of Bartók’s piano music, from its Lisztian beginnings in the early years of the 20th century, through its celebration of the wealth of his native Hungarian folk music to the expressionist power of his writing for the instrument in the 1920s.

Those roots in late Romanticism are laid bare in the Four Piano Pieces from 1903, and in many ways it’s the work that shows Bach’s pianism off to best advantage, revealing a subtlety of touch and keyboard colour that she doesn’t allow herself in the later music. In pieces such as the Three Studies of 1918 or the Piano Sonata, which appeared eight years later, there’s a relentless, unremitting quality to her playing, which may reflect one important aspect of Bartók’s writing, but which even at its most extreme doesn’t tell the whole story, despite the obvious technical mastery she shows in projecting it.

Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk album review

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 17:10:53 +0000

Opolais/Gunnell/Groissböck/Hoare/Tanglewood Festival Ch/Boston SO/Nelsons
(Deutsche Grammophon)
The impact of Shostakovich’s savagely ironic and historically significant composition is neutered in a disappointing recording taken from live performance

Performing Shostakovich has been one of Andris Nelsons’ calling cards during his first decade as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. What began as a project to survey all of the symphonies, with recordings of them subsequently released by Deutsche Grammophon, was extended to include all the concertos, and ended in spectacular fashion in January last year with concert performances of Shostakovich’s most ambitious and controversial stage work, the 1934 opera, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

Surprisingly for a work of such notoriety and historical significance, this is just the fourth recording of Lady Macbeth (there’s also one available version of Katerina Izmailova, the revision of the score that Shostakovich produced in 1962 in an attempt to rehabilitate it with the Soviet authorities after its official condemnation in 1936). But unfortunately this new version, taken from one of the Boston performances, does not seriously challenge the existing choices.

Ralph Fiennes To Direct His First Opera — And He’s Starting At The Top

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 17:03:00 +0000

The three-time Oscar nominee will direct Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at the Paris Opera. (He played the title role in a 1999 film adaptation of the Pushkin novel on which the opera is based.) The production runs from Jan. 26 through Feb. 27, 2026 at the Palais Garnier; Semyon Bychkov will conduct. – AP

Sondra Radvanovsky brings her own ideas about Turandot to The Royal Opera’s much-revived production

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 14:15:17 +0000

Puccini, Turandot: Soloists, Royal Opera Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Rafael Payare (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Bridget Caldwell) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 1.4.2025. (JPr) In reviewing this broadcast I will begin by recounting (once again) my historical connection to Puccini’s opera as I knew ... Read more

A solid revival of La bohème at Lyric Opera of Chicago

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 14:08:08 +0000

Puccini, La bohème: Soloists, Uniting Voices Chicago, Chorus and Orchestra of Lyric Opera of Chicago / Jordan de Souza (conductor). Civic Opera House, Chicago, 28.3.2025. (JLZ) Production: Director – Melanie Bacaling Sets – Gerard Howland Original Costume designer – Peter J. Hall Costumes – Jeannique Prospere Lighting – Duane Schuler Chorus director – Michael Black ... Read more

Opera Philadelphia Will Do Another $11-Ticket Season (And That’s Not The Only Way It’s Unconventional)

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:35:00 +0000

For 2025-26, the company will again offer all seats at $11 each (or higher if the buyer chooses). There are twice as many performances as this season, and five works scheduled rather than this season’s three — but only one of those works is a conventional opera. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Ensemble. A Big Existential Question

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Mike Wheeler listens to an all-American programme from Sinfonia Viva

Amy Beth Kirsten’s Multidimensional Storytelling is on Display in “Infernal Angel”

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Transdisciplinary artist and director Amy Beth Kirsten is motivated by curiosity. Whether she is composing large scale works for the..

The post Amy Beth Kirsten’s Multidimensional Storytelling is on Display in “Infernal Angel” appeared first on I CARE IF YOU LISTEN.

After A Long Absence, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Iolanta’ Makes Colorful Return

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:37:49 +0000

VIENNA – The one-act opera is being mounted at the Vienna State Opera for the first time since Gustav Mahler conducted it in the 1900-01 season. Soprano Sonya Yoncheva makes a vocally rich and nuanced role debut to head a stellar cast.

The post After A Long Absence, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Iolanta’ Makes Colorful Return first appeared on Classical Voice North America.

The Royal Ballet and Opera in 2025-26

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 22:59:14 +0000

The Royal Ballet and Opera announces 2025/26 Season Royal Opera’s first Season with new Music Director Jakub Hrůša featuring eight new opera productions RBO/Shift – a new festival exploring the ever-evolving intersection between opera and technology Royal Ballet world premieres by Wayne McGregor, Cathy Marston, Akram Khan and choreographic duo Sol León and Paul Lightfoot ... Read more

Jerusalem Quartet’s Cleveland Chamber Music Society Shostakovich string quartet cycle

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 22:56:48 +0000

Jerusalem Quartet brings Shostakovich’s string quartet cycle to Cleveland The mightiest string quartet cycle of the twentieth century is rarely encountered live. Indeed, it is probable that a complete cycle of the quartets of the formidable Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) has never before been presented in the American Midwest. That is changing this month ... Read more

Detroit Opera’s “Cosi” As AI

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 18:15:00 +0000

“He’s actually a replica of what we see in the tech industry,” Yuval Sharon said. “There’s a messianic belief that we must transcend our own humanity and that AI is making up for all the terrible ways we behave. People really do believe that the future of humanity is robotic.” – APNews

Joana Mallwitz leads a cast-driven Le nozze di Figaro revival at the Met

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:40:06 +0000

Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera / Joana Mallwitz (conductor). Metropolitan Opera, New York, 31.3.2025. (ES-S) It is fair to assume that many spectators attending the season’s first performance of Richard Eyre’s familiar 2014 production of Le nozze di Figaro were drawn by Joana Mallwitz’s house debut. A ... Read more

Joyce DiDonato’s Wigmore Hall Winterreise: A journey both magnificent and misconceived

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:17:40 +0000

Schubert: Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano), Maxim Emelyanychev (fortepiano), Wigmore Hall, London, 28.3.2025. (CSa) Schubert – Winterreise, D911 ‘When I wished to sing of love it turned into sorrow, and when I wished to sing of sorrow, it was transformed for me into love.’ wrote the dying Schubert. There is no more musically eloquent demonstration of the ... Read more

Juraj Valčuha conducts the SF Symphony in a vivid program of Brahms and Shostakovich

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:11:34 +0000

Brahms, Shostakovich: Gil Shaham (violin), San Francisco Symphony / Juraj Valčuha (conductor). Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, 30.3.2025. (HS) Brahms – Violin Concerto Shostakovich – Symphony No.10 I seldom miss a chance to attend a concert involving the violinist Gil Shaham. It is not just his virtuosity, which is formidable – it is his ability ... Read more

Violinist Johan Dalene lives up to his reputation in his Canadian debut

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:05:27 +0000

Various: Johan Dalene (violin), Sahun Sam Hong (piano). Vancouver Playhouse, Vancouver, 23.4.2025. (GN) R. Schumann – Sonata No.1 in A minor, Op.105 Rautavarra – ‘Notturno e danza’ Lutoslawski – Partita for Violin and Piano Grieg – Sonata No.2 in G major, Op.13 Ravel – Tzigane Encore: Bacewicz – ‘Humoreska’ This recital was Johan Dalene’s Canadian ... Read more

How Leonard Bernstein Changed The Orchestral Canon

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 15:44:00 +0000

Initially, there was a lot of excitement in the press—the first American at the helm of one of the great orchestras! But the tone soon became hostile, even acrimonious. Audiences loved Bernstein, but his full-bodied manner on the podium—arms, head, hips, shoulders, eyebrows, groin in motion—caused embarrassment and even anger. – The Atlantic

London premiere of Hummel's oratorio The Crossing of the Red Sea, which lay undiscovered in the British Library until 2004

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:02:18 +0000

Johann Nepomuk Hummel is known as much for being a pupil of Mozart and Haydn as for his actual music. A virtuoso pianist himself, he wrote a significant amount of piano music but there is much else besides.

His short oratorio, Der Durchzug durchs rote Meer (The Crossing of the Red Sea) is one of Hummel's unpublished works and was regarded as lost until 2004, when German conductor and musicologist Hermann Max discovered it in the British Library, where it had been lurking for over 100 years, and recorded it in German.

There is now a chance to hear the work in what will be its first London performance when Medici Choir, conductor David Gostick perform Hummel's oratorio in a new English translation as The Crossing of the Red Sea on Saturday 5 April 2025 at at Holy Sepulchre London EC1. Medici Choir will be joined by Brandenburg Sinfonia and soloists Luci Briginshaw, Eve McGrath, Patrick Ashcroft and Edwin Kaye in a programme that also includes Mozart's Mass in C minor.

The work is clearly influenced by Handel and Haydn, though the manuscript for the work is undated. it seems likely that it dates from the years 1804 to 1816 when Hummel was leader of the orchestra in Esterházy, though he actually acted as kapellmeister though the post was officially held by Haydn.

Further information from the choir's website, tickets from TicketSource.

One Of Toronto’s Top Concert Halls To Get Major Renovation

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:02:00 +0000

Work on the 998-seat George Weston Recital Hall will begin in the summer of 2026; the project will include upgraded seating, refreshed paintwork, and restoration of the hall’s original flooring. – Ludwig Van

Ensemble. Shocking and Gruesome

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Ron Bierman reviews Richard Strauss' opera 'Salome'

5 Questions to Gabriela Díaz and Ayane Kozasa (Kronos Quartet)

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

The celebrated Kronos Quartet are beloved because of the five decades they have dedicated to uplifting new music. In concert,..

The post 5 Questions to Gabriela Díaz and Ayane Kozasa (Kronos Quartet) appeared first on I CARE IF YOU LISTEN.

Imagination & sense of drama in John Weldon's 1701 prize-winning The Judgement of Paris in its first recording from Academy of Ancient Music & Cambridge Handel Opera Co.

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 08:16:24 +0000

John Weldon: The Judgement of Paris; Helen Charlston, Kitty Whately, Anna Dennis, Thomas Walker, Jonathan Brown, Academy of Ancient Music, Cambridge Handel Opera Company, Julian Perkins; AAM
Reviewed 1 April 2025

Stylishly engaging performances highlight the imagination and sense of drama in John Weldon's winning entry in that 1701 English opera competition, despite the fact that we know the competition had little effect on English opera and the composer went on to concentrate on sacred music

The Musick Prize offered in 1701 by a group of wealthy English aristocrats for a setting of William Congreve's libretto The Judgement of Paris excited considerable interest at the time. Four composers entered, John Eccles (Master of the King's Music), Gottfried Finger (a London-based, Moravian viol virtuoso), Daniel Purcell (younger brother of Henry Purcell) and John Weldon (organist of New College, Oxford). Weldon seems to have been the least experienced, dramatically. Eccles worked with Thomas Betterton's acting company at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, whilst Finger and Purcell were house composers at the rival Drury Lane Theatre.

In the event, Weldon's work won, to evident surprise in musical circles. The competition, however, would not kick start English opera. Eccles' 1706 full-length opera Semele (also with a libretto by Congreve) never reached the stage and Handel's entrance onto the English operatic stage with Rinaldo (in 1711) changed things completely.

Having recorded Eccles' Semele in 2021 [see my review], Julian Perkins, the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) and Cambridge Handel Opera have turned their attention to John Weldon's winning entry in the competition, The Judgement of Paris. This premiere recording (yes, really) is released on AAM's own label with Thomas Walker as Mercury, Jonathan Brown as Paris, Helen Charlston as Juno, Kitty Whately as Pallas Athene, Anna Dennis as Venus, plus Anna Cavaliero and Aksel Rykkvin as attendants on Pallas.

For the competition, the four operas were performed by pretty much the same chorus and orchestra, but the composers chose their own soloists. Each composer would have played to their strengths in performance, Eccles was as string player, Purcell and Weldon were experienced organists, whilst Finger probably played bass viol in the continuo team. The theatre's setup seems to imply that these were performances more in the manner of Handel's later oratorios, without elaborate stage machinery. And whilst Congreve's libretto has elements of the 17th century masque in it, there is no mention of dancers or dancing.

Portrait of John Weldon from the Bate Collection

Despite not being a man of the theatre, Weldon brought a practical eye to the whole project. He massaged the libretto, giving a far bigger role for the chorus from early on in the opera, thus adding a greater element of variety to proceedings. And the soloists are often accompanied by small groups of solo instruments, rather than the whole ensemble, which would have made the work far easier to rehearse! Finally, there is an Italian element to Weldon's writing with directional harmony and enjoyably catchy tunes, perhaps designed to appeal to Italian opera loving aristocrats.

Congreve's libretto for The Judgement of Paris, presumably written specially for the competition, is something of a hybrid. It lacks the element of plot and drama associated with Italian opera, yet has none of the dancing associated with the masque. It also lacks much opportunity for the spectacle and elaborate stagecraft associated with both genres. What it does is give a compact, easily performable work which made the competition viable. But it means that, if we are looking for the origins of English opera as a genre, the competition is not entirely valuable.

The new recording does Weldon's work complete justice and what emerges is a musically engaging work, superbly performed. Helen Charlston, Kitty Whately and Anna Dennis are each a complete delight as the three goddesses, each singer bringing a breadth of style and personality to her performance. Charlston gets relatively short opportunities but manages to be wonderfully imperious at first and then singing with marvellous gusto. Whately has great fun as Athene initially tries to out sex the goddess of love by being seductively intimate, before the more martial elements come into play including an enjoyably lively trio with her two attendants, Anna Cavaliero and Aksel Rykkvin [incidentially, Rykvvin, now a baritone, had a distinguished career as a boy treble, see my review]

Anna Dennis as Venus certainly gets the short (or long) straw as her substantial role has a significant amount of virtuoso singing required. At her entry she is marvellously seductive, but then must wait and finally Dennis is able to deliver her sequence of arias, always stylish, the writing becomes busy yet Dennis makes it marvellously laid back. The three singers also have great fun in their trio, when it is perfectly clear that the three goddesses do not get on.

The two men are equally engaging. Thomas Walker as a tenor Mercury, commands attention from the outset and I enjoyed Walker's way with Weldon's arioso, whilst Jonathan Brown is a bluff Paris, quite clearly rather out of his depth.

The chorus' repeated entry into the mix (Weldon's libretto has five extra choruses) makes for a more varied, more Henry Purcell like experience that the singers here make the most of. Also Athene gets two attendants who join her for her final aria.

Julian Perkins directs with a secure hand when it comes to dramatic pacing, whilst the individual instrumentalists contribute some finely stylish playing. The result is pacey and engaging, entirely disguising the rather static nature of the plot. There is a large-scale Sonata to begin things, some five minutes of orchestral music featuring David Blackadder's trumpet, all in all creating a distinctly Purcellian atmosphere, and there are four shorter symphonies during the opera giving more opportunities.

Overall there is a lovely sense of dramatic engagement in the performance, from soloists and ensemble, along with a feeling that they were enjoying themselves. This results in a performance that feels like living drama, and really draws you in; a long way from the sort of worthy academic exercise that it might have been.

Weldon's The Judgement of Paris is never going to be a regular in theatres, but this disc makes a fine companion to AAM's early recording of Eccles' Semele. The recording comes with an admirable booklet full of essays which shed light on Weldon, the competition and what we know about the original performance.

And what of John Weldon, after the competition? Well, his work on the revival of Shakespeare's The Tempest in 1712 created the last great Restoration semi-opera, but Weldon's career essentially took a sacred focus, becoming second organist that Chapel Royal as well as holding posts of St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, and St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Further reading on Planet Hugill:

From Rinaldo to Amadigi di Gaula: a look at Handel's highly experimental early London period
The Invention of English Opera: the surprising history of opera in 17th century England

Part Two, the brief flowering of English opera, the rise of Italian opera and the development of ballad opera
Part One, from masques to dramatick-opera

The pocket watch and the news periodical: how the public concert developed in 17th and 18th century London

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Elsewhere on this blog

Up close and personal: David Butt Philip & Friends Gala at St Paul's Opera, Clapham - opera review
Pure enjoyment: Peter Moore & Tredegar Band give the first recording of Simon Dobson's concerto for Moore - record review
Bespoke Songs: soprano Fotina Naumenko on commissioning four composers for works for soprano and diverse ensembles - interview
Richard Strauss at the Deutsche Oper Berlin:

Elektra & Intermezzo - opera review
Arabella with Jennifer Davis & Heidi Stober - opera review

Traces of trauma: Britten Sinfonia premiere Michael Zev Gordon's A Kind of Haunting marking 80th anniversary of the end of WWII - concert review
Letter from Florida: Stéphane Denève & New World Symphony on impressive form in Britten's War Requiem - concert review
Drawing you in: young Uruguayan counter-tenor Agustin Pennino in a nadmirably ballsy programme at London Transport Museum - concert review
Reshaping the narrative: Leslie Korngold on the historic release of his grandfather's recording of his Symphony - interview
Between Friends: a new disc of Jonathan Dove's music celebrates friendship & collaboration in music - record review
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Festival’s Wide Scope Offers Classical Music Writ On Intimate Scale

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 03:46:23 +0000

SAVANNAH – The 2025 Savannah Music Festival is focused on genre-bending artists and works, and where once the Atlanta Symphony was featured annually, chamber music rules, and soloists, like pianist Michelle Cann (right), hold center stage.

The post Festival’s Wide Scope Offers Classical Music Writ On Intimate Scale first appeared on Classical Voice North America.

Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2025-26

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 22:54:42 +0000

RSNO Launches 2025/26 Concert Season The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) launches its 2025:26 Concert Season, featuring Scottish talent, contemporary composers and new commissions. The 2025/26 Season explores brand new music, celebrates living composers and brings old favourites to communities all across Scotland under the artistic leadership of Music Director Thomas Søndergård. Music Director Thomas ... Read more

BMG Music Earned $1 Billion In 2024, Spent $263 Million On Buying Catalogs

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:15:00 +0000

BMG generated EUR €963 million (USD $1.04bn) in annual revenues in 2024, up 6.4% YoY or up 8.1% YoY on an organic basis. – Music Business Worldwide

Pianist András Schiff On Cancelling All His U.S. Engagements

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:02:00 +0000

“What has been lost is a sense of decency. It’s a new system of values or rather of a lack of values. We no longer seem to know what is right or wrong. For example, being a liar used to be considered a vice.” – Classical Voice North America

Weill-Lerner ‘Love Life’ Dusted Off, Buffed Up, Made Fascinating Again

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:00:42 +0000

NEW YORK – Recklessly ambitious, bewilderingly epic, the 1948 Kurt Weill-Alan Jay Lerner musical has been periodically resurrected as visionary theater. This smart revival boasts two knockout leads in Kate Baldwin and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

The post Weill-Lerner ‘Love Life’ Dusted Off, Buffed Up, Made Fascinating Again first appeared on Classical Voice North America.

Trump Signs Executive Order On Concert Tickets

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 16:44:00 +0000

The order directs the Federal Trade Commission to more rigorously enforce existing law governing the use of bots that help scalpers scoop up hot tickets, including by issuing fines. Trump said the FTC, along with the Treasury and Justice departments, will deliver a report within 180 days summarizing what they have done. – The Wall Street Journal

Chelsea Opera Group’s most enjoyable performance of Lalo’s Le roi d’Ys

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 15:42:58 +0000

Lalo, Le roi d’Ys (concert performance): Soloists, Chelsea Opera Group Chorus and Orchestra / Paul Wingfield (conductor). Cadogan Hall, London, 30.3.2025. (CC) Cast: Margared – Maria Schellenberg Rozenn – Hye-Youn Lee Mylio – Luis Gomez Prince Karnac – Alexey Gusev Le Roi – Thomas D. Hopkinson Jahel – Ross Cumming St Corentin – Edward Jowle ... Read more

The BBC SO’s ‘Total Immersion’ day worthily celebrates the Boulez centenary

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 15:40:48 +0000

BBC SO Total Immersion: Pierre Boulez: Beñat Erro Díez, Lily Payne (clarinets), Hannah Miller (recording engineer), Tamara Stefanovich (piano), Anna Dennis (soprano), BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra / Martyn Brabbins (conductor). Milton Court Concert Hall and Barbican Hall, London, 30.3.2025. (MB) Boulez – Domaines for solo clarinet; Piano Sonata No.2; Dialogue de l’ombre double Deux ... Read more

London Handel Festival 2025: Apollo e Dafne and The Choice of Hercules is a Thomas Guthrie show of excellence

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 15:35:00 +0000

London Handel Festival 2025 – Apollo e Dafne (HWV122) and The Choice of Hercules (HWV69): Soloists, La Nuova Musica / David Bates (conductor) with New English Ballet Theatre. Shoreditch Town Hall, 27.3.2025. (AK) The genre of opera in Baroque times often used storylines from Greek mythology, performances were often presented as exciting spectacles. Stage director Thomas ... Read more

Former Director Of Santa Fe Opera Arrested For Soliciting Minors

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:34:00 +0000

Charles MacKay, who was general director of the summer company from 2008-2018, was arrested in March in Powell, Wyoming after having allegedly solicited two teenagers for sex. – Santa Fe New Mexican

The Title

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Introducing 'The Pianistic Crown'

Maxim Emelyanychev celebrates 7 seasons with Scottish Chamber Orchestra in a year that includes new music by Jay Capperauld, Helen Grime, Jörg Widmann and Magnus Lindberg

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:15:18 +0000

Maxim Emelyanychev and Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Amazingly, 2025/26 will be Maxim Emelyanychev's seventh season as principal conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and he will be presenting ten programme with the orchestra during the season, along with Andrew Manze as principal guest conductor. Emelyanychev's programmes include Strauss' Metamorphosen, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, contrasting Glorias from Vivaldi and Poulenc, Berlioz' L'enfance du Christ , Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and Mozart's final three symphonies. The orchestra's principal cellist, Philip Higham joins him for Schumann's Cello Concerto, and violinist Nicola Benedetti joins Emelyanychev and the orchestra for Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.

Earlier this year, I had an enjoyable chat to the orchestra's associate composer Jay Capperauld [see my interview] and the season will feature three of Capperauld's works. Andrew Manze conducts The Language of Eden, a choral work that reimagines the birth of language itself, and a second work will also feature the chorus, The Winter's Brightening, whilst Stylus Scarlatti reimagines Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas for the bright colours of the orchestra. Whilst Capperauld's The Great Grumpy Gaboon will be returning too.

Other new music includes the UK premiere of Scottish composer Helen Grime’s River, performed by the orchestra and director/percussionist Colin Currie, the UK premiere of Jörg Widmann’s affectionate homage to Schumann, Albumblätter, and Magnus Lindberg’s Viola Concerto, dedicated to its performer here, Lawrence Power. The SCO Chorus will be performing on of Roderick Williams' works, O Adonai, as part of their seasonal concerts, whilst the baritone himself will be performing Berlioz and Butterworth with the orchestra.

Violinist Alina Ibragimova will be the soloists in Hartmann’s Concerto funèbre, a work she has long championed. Andrew Manze and the orchestra's clarinettist Maximiliano Martín present three iconic works by John Adams, Shaker Loops, Gnarly Buttons, and Fearful Symmetries as part of the New Dimensions series which also includes Colin Currie in Steve Reich and Joe Duddell along with Helen Grime's River, and saxophonist Jess Gillam in Anna Clyne, George Walker and Caroline Shaw, as well as two works written especially for her, by John Harle and Dani Howard.

SCO Tea Dance Concerts

The orchestra’s Creative Learning activities reach over 10,000 people across Scotland every year, and this year the season includes multisensory family concerts, Immerse concerts for secondary schools, tea dance concerts and a continuation of their Craigmillar Residency. They will be celebrating five years of the Craigmillar Residency with Tapestry - a showcase featuring performances by the SCO Seen and Heard Ensemble and SCO Craigmillar Voices choir, including a 25-minute work curated by Jay Capperauld.

Full details from the orchestra's website.

Philippe Quint Brings Stunning Virtuosity to Album of Works by Auerbach, Wallen, and Kvint

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

With four composers – three living, all women – Philippe Quint’s Milestones is a refreshing and much-needed addition to a..

The post Philippe Quint Brings Stunning Virtuosity to Album of Works by Auerbach, Wallen, and Kvint appeared first on I CARE IF YOU LISTEN.