Timed to coincide with a trip to Dresden for Walküre with Nagano, here is yet more evidence of the gold that lies in that beautiful cty. The Dresden Philharmonic under Janowski provide a stunning set […]

Rothko Chapel SANSARA; Manchester Collective. Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, 05.05.2024 Pärt Solfeggio (1963)  Scelsi Latin Prayers: Ave Maria (1972)  Isobel Waller-Bridge No, 9 (2024, World Premiere)  Katherine Balch songs and inteludes (2024, World Permiere)  […]

The recent Göttedämmung at the Royal Festival Hall was due to feature Brindley Sherratt as Hagen. It was not to be (although there was a luxury stand-in); in compensation, we have this remarkable disc for […]

We met Huw Watkins (seen by some as the leading Welsh composer of his generation) at Milton Court recently, for the World Premiere of his Horn Concerto. That was not Classical Explorer’s first reportage of […]

We met violinist Fenella Humphreys before in a disc of works for violin and piano by Sibelius (in which she was joined by the ever-excellent pianist Joseph Tong). Here she is, toute seule, offering a […]

Monteverdi I Fagiolini / Robert Hollingworth (director / organ). Wigmore Hall, 1 pm, 29.04.2024 O primavera, gioventù dell’anno, SV 68 (publ. 1592)  ‘Rimanti in pace’ a dolente e bella, SV 74 (publ. 1592)  Lamento della […]

Wagner Götterdämmerung (semi-staged). Soloists; London Philharmonic Choir; London Voices; London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski, KBE. Royal Festival Hall, 27.04.2024 Production:  Director – P. J. Harris  Video Designer – Pierre Martin Oriol  Lighting Designer – […]

Following on from Brett Dean’s Wigmore Concert (we published my report just two days ago) here we have Dean’s take on Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat, Op. 73, the so-called “Emperor,” A […]

Everyday Non-sense; works by Shiomi, Schmit, Higgins, Mozart, Kurtág, Cage, PatKop, Françaix and Ligei Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin/voice/vacuum cleaner); members of Aurora Orchestra. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London, 24.04.2024 The force of […]

The Stratford-upon-Avon based ensemble Orchestra of the Swan is one of the most inventive groups around in the UK today – this extends from their programming to their use of multimedia to the subjects they […]