Classical CDs Weekly: Nyman, Hallé Orchestra, Vaughan Williams

Featuring neglected British orchestral music and a contemporary opera

by Graham RicksonFriday, 20 May 2011

Michael Nyman's 'Facing Goya': A witty, entertaining piece from unpromising source material

This week we’ve some neglected British orchestral music played by the UK’s oldest professional orchestra, including a spectacular work later championed by Britten. An offbeat disc of concertos for two pianos provides scintillating entertainment. And there’s a contemporary opera by a composer best known for his film soundtracks.

Buy

Find Concertos for Two Pianos on Amazon

Explore topics

Share this article

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

more Classical music

Sansara, Manchester Collective, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - sense of a unique experience Three world premieres all respond to Feldman’s Rothko Chapel

Gomyo, National Symphony Orchestra, Kuokman, National Concert Hall, Dublin review - painful brilliance around a heart of darkness A violinist for all facets of a towering Shostakovich masterpiece

Classical CDs: Coffee, peppercorns and puppets A prolific conductor's centenary celebrated, plus Hungarian ballet music and baroque keyboard concertos

Remembering conductor Andrew Davis (1944-2024) Fellow conductors, singers, instrumentalists and administrators recall a true Mensch

Hallé, Wong, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - meeting a musical communicator Drama and emotional power from a new principal conductor

Guildhall School Gold Medal 2024, Barbican review - quirky-wonderful programme ending in an award Ginastera spolights the harp, Nino Rota the double bass in dazzling performances

Queyras, Philharmonia, Suzuki, RFH review - Romantic journeys Japan's Bach maestro flourishes in fresh fields

Classical CDs: Swans, hamlets and bossa nova A promising young pianist's debut disc, plus Finnish mythology and a trio of neglected British composers

Christian Pierre La Marca, Yaman Okur, St Martin-in-The-Fields review - engagingly subversive pairing falls short A collaboration between a cellist and a breakdancer doesn't achieve lift off

Ridout, Włoszczowska, Crawford, Lai, Posner, Wigmore Hall review - electrifying teamwork High-voltage Mozart and Schoenberg, blended Brahms, in a fascinating programme

Sabine Devieilhe, Mathieu Pordoy, Wigmore Hall review - enchantment in Mozart and Strauss Leading French soprano shines beyond diva excess

Špaček, BBC Philharmonic, Bihlmaier, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - three flavours of Vienna Close attention, careful balancing, flowing phrasing and clear contrast

Follow @theartsdesk