Classical Reviews
Prom 64: Vavic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, JurowskiSaturday, 31 August 2013
Legends, myths, and Nietzsche’s Superman - which for the purposes of this London Philharmonic Prom was none other than Vladimir Jurowski himself. His extraordinary ear, his nurturing and layering of texture, was a constant source of intrigue and delight and at least one performance - that of Sibelius’ tone poem Pohjola’s Daughter - was revelatory in its musical insights. Read more...
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Classical CDs Weekly: Bartók, Mahler, Sarah NeufeldSaturday, 31 August 2013
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Prom 60: Billy Budd, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, DavisWednesday, 28 August 2013
You may well ask whether theartsdesk hasn’t already exhausted all there is to say about Glyndebourne’s most celebrated Britten production of recent years. I gave it a more cautious welcome than most on its first airing, troubled a little by the literalism of Michael Grandage’s production and the defects in all three principal roles. Read more... |
Prom 59: Hollywood Rhapsody, John Wilson OrchestraTuesday, 27 August 2013
Proms enthusiast that I am, it still isn't often that I leave the Royal Albert Hall with a face that aches from smiling for hours on end. But judging by the endlessly ecstatic applause that greeted John Wilson and his orchestra at the end of every piece (and occasionally during) of the Hollywood Rhapsody Prom, I was by no means the only one. Read more... |
Prom 57: Parsifal, Hallé, ElderMonday, 26 August 2013
So for one last time this season the impossible colosseum of Albertopolis became the Wagnerian holiest of holies – to be precise, the Cathedral of the Holy Grail - and once again I fell in love with the beast transfigured. Read more... |
Prom 56: Thibaudet, Gustav Mahler Jungendorchester, JordanSunday, 25 August 2013
The visits of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester are a regular Proms highlight, only preceded (for me) by the John Wilson Orchestra in the speed with which they go from announcement to diary. Last year’s concert under Gatti was a whirling celebration of dance – a beautifully programmed narrative that spun us from Wagner to Ravel and left us breathless. The year before Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov brought us passions from East and West, united by the precision of Sir Colin Davis. Read more... |
Classical CDs Weekly: Rachmaninov, Terje Rypdal, Valentina Montoya MartínezSaturday, 24 August 2013
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Prom 53: Antonacci, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Nézet-SéguinFriday, 23 August 2013
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Prom 52: Batiashvili, BBC Symphony Orchestra, OramoThursday, 22 August 2013
Concert programmes are designed to make the mind flexible with constant contrasts. More often, though, the great is the enemy of the good-ish. Last night an Elgar masterpiece was always going to overshadow its second-half predecessor, a hazily pleasant piece for strings and – novelty value – six harps by the colleague Elgar called “dear old Gran”, candidate for this Proms season's resuscitation attempt Granville Bantock. Read more... |
Prom 51: Bostridge, London Symphony Orchestra, HardingWednesday, 21 August 2013
There have already been many musical tributes to Sir Colin Davis, whose death in April left us all so much the poorer, but last night’s from the London Symphony Orchestra was particularly and wonderfully poignant. Davis himself was originally scheduled to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra – an ensemble whose relationship with him extended back over 50 years – but was replaced, fittingly, by his protégé Daniel Harding. Read more... |
Bartók: Violin Concertos 1 and 2 Isabelle Faust (violin), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Harding (Harmonia Mundi)
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