Netherlandish madrigalist Giaches de Wert (1535-96) spent much of his life in Italy, initially as choirboy to the Marchesa of Padulla (Salerno);he and was later court musician to counts of Nobellara, and the maestro di […]
With Barrie Kosky’s ongoing Covent Garden production dominating metropolitan perceptions of Wagner’s tetralogy and Longborough Festival Opera having set a high bar for country house Wagner, it was brave of Grange Park Opera to embark […]
Handel: Serse – Paula Murrihy, Louise Alder – Academy of Ancient Music, the Barbican (Photo: Mark Allan) Handel: Serse; Paula Murrihy, Louise Alder, Rachel Redmond, Rebecca Leggett, Claudia Huckle, Luca Tittoto, Thomas Chenhall, Academy of […]
John Andrews at recording sessions for his disc of Sullivan songs When conductor John Andrews and I met up for a chat recently, it was the music of Sir Arthur Sullivan that was high on […]
We first met the Tippett String Quartet via Penderecki Complete Music for String Quartet, also on Naxos, then live at Thaxted Festival. Now, one of the most cruelly under-rated composers out there: Alexander Glazunov (1865-1935). […]
Three cheers for Sir Peter Wright and three cheers more for Birmingham Royal Ballet who drew balletic attention away from the capital for once to focus it firmly on England’s second city. Wright is now […]
I first came across the composer Russell Hepplewhite in 2013 when English Touring Opera performed his opera Laika the Spacedog at the Science Museum in London [see my review]. Described as an opera in one act for […]
Almost 1 million young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training. And in Birmingham, more than double the national average of young people are on Universal Credit and looking for […]
Harry Christophers, The Sixteen & Genesis Sixteen alumni at St James’s Piccadilly (Photo: Ian Jones Photography) The Sixteen first collaborated with St James’s Piccadilly back in 2019 when the church became the home for The […]
Rarities performed at the highest standards, both performative and in terms of recording, are themselves rare, so it is good to have Sinfonia of London under John Wilson in this sequence of early music by […]
