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Southbank Spring/Summer 2025 Season announcement
Southbank Centre announces Classical Music Spring/Summer 2025 with bold new premieres and commissions The Southbank Centre and its family of six Resident Orchestras – Aurora Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Philharmonia Orchestra – today announce the Classical Music Spring/Summer 2025
Dinis Souza at the Barbican: orchestral wizard, award-winner.
Unsuk Chin, Bartók, Debussy, Ravel Bertrand Chamayou (piano); BBC Symphony Orchestra / Dinis Souza (conductor) Unsuk Chin Alaraph, ‘Ritual of the heartbeat’ (2022, London premiere) Bartók Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz 119 / BB 127 (1945) Debussy La mer (1903-5) Ravel Boléro (1928) Premiered in Basel in 2023, Unsuk Chin’s Alareph,
Francesco Cilea's opera Gloria: verismo at its best
Se in 14th-century Siena, Italy, Francesco Cilea’s opera Gloria, performed here in its 1932 revised edition, contains the tragic story of two lovers caught up in a conflict (between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines: of course, Gloria is a Guelph and her love Lionetto, a Ghibelline). The libretto is
Delius Hassan: Chandos' definitive modern recording
This is a joy. Delian exoticism at its finest: previously on Classical Explorer, we reported on a performance of his more famous Lakmé via Chelsea Opera Group at Cadogan Hall; now we preset a luxuriously recorded Hassan. This is the complete incidental music, including spoken contributions from Zeb Soames (who
Yet more Puccini: ENO's Bohème revival
Puccini, La bohème: Soloists, Chorus of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School; Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera / Clelia Cafiero (conductor). London Coliseum, 3.10.2024 Production: Original director – Sir Jonathan Miller Revival director – Crispin Lord Designer – Isabella Bywater Lighting designer – Jean Kalman Revival Lighting director – Marc Rosette Translation
Jonas Kaufmann returns in Puccini: Love Affairs
It's tempting to call this Jonas Kaufmann's love affairs: he is very much the main protagonist here (along of course its Puccini himself). This follows on from his first Puccini album in 2015 – Nessun Dorma. Part of the celebrations for the composer’s 2024 anniversary year, he explains his rationale
Suor Angelica at ENO
Puccini Suor Angelica (sung in English, traans. Amanda Holden). Cast; Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera / Corinna Niemeyer. Coliseum, London, 27.09.2024 Production: Director: - Annelese Miskimmon Designer – Yannis Thovaris Lighting Designer – Mark Jonathan Cast: Sister Angelica - Sinéad Campbell-Wallace The Baroness – Christine Rice The Abbess – Madeleine Shaw
Dresden to open Richard Wagner Academy
From the desk of PR2 agency in Dresden, Germany: Dresden receives federal funding for the construction of a Richard Wagner Academy and the establishment of an international center of excellence for Romantic orchestral and opera practice Dresden, September 25, 2024. The state capital of Dresden is receiving a grant of
Beyond: Jakub Józef Orliński
This is Jakub Jósef Orliński's sixth album for Erato, and his post follows on from Classical Explorer's recent musings on Orliński's Gluck Orfeo, The group is once more Il Pomo d'Oro. So, why “Beyond”? Orliński answers himself: We are going to take you on a journey which will really fly
Jommelli - The Mozartists Celebrate
Jommelli – a celebration. Fflur Wyn (soprano); Ambroisine Bré (mezzo); Hugo Brady (tenor); The Mozartists / Ian Page (conductor). Wigmore Hall, 18.09.2024 Ricimero, re de’ Gato: Vidi il mar tutto in procella Ezio: Se il povero ruscello Metope: Io già sento nel mio petto Didone abbandonata: Final scene Demofoonte: La
The Watchman, Issue #2: On Elitism, and the Recorder in England
Contents: The Chosen: For What? by Hana Gubenko Foreign Masters: Max Volbers and Alexander von Heissen play music by foreign composers in Baroque England, by Colin Clarke The Chosen – for what? Who wouldn’t want to be in the chosen few? Be it a golf club, gym or classical music
Orliński, Dreisig and Said in Gluck's Orfeo & Euridice
Il Pomo d'Oro and counter-tenor Jakub Jozef Orliński form a Theseus thread though a trio of discs we will examine in turn: Gluck's opera Orfeo & Euridice with Orlinski (and Elsa Dreisig and Fatima Said) Beyond, Orliński's solo disc with Il Pomo d'Oro, and Michael Spyres' disc Contra-Tenor (again with Il
Patricia Kopatchinskaja plays Schonberg
PROM 67 Vaughan Williams, Schoenberg, Shostakovich Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin); BBC Symphony Orchestra / Tarmo Peltokoski (conductor). Royal Albert Hall, London, 09.09.2024 Vaughan Williams Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves’ (1934) Schoenberg Violin Concerto, Op. 36 (1935/6) Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47 (1937) Three very different types of
Male soprano Bruno de Sá in Bayreuth
Bayreuth Baroque Gala Concert: Bruno de Sá; Il Pomo d'Oro / Alfia Bakieva (violin / director). Markgräfliches Opernhaus, Bayreuh, 06.09.2024 Handel Gloria in Excelsis Deo, HWV deest (1706/07?) Vivaldi In furoe iusissimae irae, RV 626 (1720s) Handel Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, HWV 72 (1708): Qui l’angel Hasse Marc’
Cambridge Music Festival announces 2024 Artist Programme
Cowbridge Music Festival is proud to unveil plans for its 2024 Young Artist Programme, which showcases the remarkable talents of Wales' emerging musicians. This year's Young Ensembles will be the Cardiff-based Bute Wind Quintet, and RWCMD graduates Quartet Draig. Speaking about the programme, Festival Co-Artistic Director Rosalind Ventris comments: "We
Chromatica: A new orchestra is born
Introducing Chromatica Orchestra I am told of a new orchestra, and the press release is below. I hope to report on the Batttersea concert (the Barber Violin Concerto is heard far too little os this is a rare chance ...) Classical music welcomes a vibrant new addition with Chromatica Orchestra, which
NEWS POST:
SOMM Announces Signing of Burkard Schliessmann SOMM Recordings is delighted to announce the exclusive signing of the German pianist Burkard Schliessmann. Burkhard Schliessmann, recipient of the renowned Goethe-Prize of Frankfurt/(2019/20), is one of the most compelling pianists and artists of the modern era. He has received numerous prizes
Bizet's Carmen at the Proms yields two names to watch
PROM 52 Bizet Carmen from Glyndebourne. Cast; Glyndebourne Festival Chorus; London Philharmonic Orchestra / Anja Bihlmaier (conductor). Royal Albert Hall, London, 29.08.2024 Production: Director – Diane Paulusi RAH semi-staging – Adam Torrence Cast: Carmen – Rihan Chaieb Don José – Evan LeRoy Johnson Micaëla – Janai Brugger Escamillo – Łukasz Goliński My last two Carmens
Piper of Dreams: the oboe music of Ruth Gipps
The music of English composer Ruth Gipps (1921-1999) has been featured several times on Classical Explorer: Opalescence: Piano and Chamber Music of Ruth Gipps; her Clarinet Concert on a cracker of a disc from Robert Plane, Reawakened; and songs on Delphian - this post includes a link to performance of