Bach
igor.toronyilalic
Is there a greater singleton's soundtrack than Bach's restless, tormented Three Partitas for Solo Violin? The works represent the extraordinary pinnacle of the violin repertoire and also the summit of Bach at his most chromatically and psychologically screwy. Snuggling up to these intensely fragile works, as so many Valentines couples were preparing to do last night at Wigmore Hall, is about as fun as curling up to a slice of Von Trier's cinematic clitoridectomy. And the intensity, fragility and bitterness was never so clear as in Julia Fischer's nimble hands. Her sound was shockingly, Read more ...
theartsdesk
Johan Persson took photographs of Kim Brandstrup's new ballet with Tamara Rojo, Goldberg, which was premiered at the Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, on 21 September 2009. Music is J S Bach's Goldberg Variations, designs Richard Hudson, lighting Paule Constable, video Leo Warner for Fifty Nine Productions Ltd, sound Ian Dearden. Performed by Tamara Rojo, Tom Whitehead, Steven McRae, Clara Barbera, Laura Caldow, Tommy Franzén, Riccardo Meneghini. Pianists Philip Gammon and Henry Roche. Read Ismene Brown's review.Click on a picture to enter full view and slideshow. [bg|/johanpersson/ Read more ...
Ismene Brown
At last a seriously good new ballet created not just inside the Royal Opera House’s bunker-like Linbury Studio Theatre but actually making complete sense of its space and atmosphere. Kim Brandstrup’s new creation with the Royal Ballet star Tamara Rojo, Goldberg, is a beautiful, grown-up piece of fine musical feeling and drama, and with a design and lighting scheme to die for.They came from left-field on this one, since to get anything made new at the Royal Ballet is generally a torturous business of compromise with time, cast and concept. But Rojo swung her weight about as ballerina and Read more ...
Ismene Brown
Having felt thoroughly racked by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s marathonian and bone-dry Rosas danst Rosas on Wednesday, I was hardly expecting charm and beguilement from the even longer Zeitung last night. But Zeitung is one of the most delightful and intelligent evenings about modern dance’s volatile relationship with classical music that I’ve seen.Twenty-five years separate the two and an aeon of difference in emotional generosity; Rosas danst Rosas looks like the piano scales and exercises before the sophisticated, expressive performance for nine dancers and pianist that is Zeitung (German Read more ...