Puccini Orchestral Music
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 […]
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Glyndebourne’s first staging of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo
It is truly astonishing to think that this is Glyndebourne’s first Monteverdi L’Orfeo. It is not the first Monteverdi there, though: both Poppea (first seen1962), and Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (1972) have previously featured. […]
Telemann’s Donnerode: Late Church Music
Solomon’s Knot and Jonathan Sells join forces with Les Passions de l’Âme (The Passions of the Soul)) for this celebration of late Telmann sacred music, Ton Koopman waxed lyrical to me once about Telemann’s Donnerode, […]
Songs for a Mad King: Manchester Camerata investigates mental health
8 Songs for a Mad King Soloists; Manchester Camerata / John Andrews (conductor); Company Chameleon (stage direction). King’s Place, London, June 6, 2026 Judith Weir Blue Green Hill Errolyn Wallen By Gis and By Saint […]
Neilsen’s Mother …
Carl Nielsen’s music to The Mother: A Play in a Prologue and Seven Scenes by Helge Rode was recorded in full for the first time here. Some excerpts have found their way in into record […]
Bach Goldberg Variations (as you’ve never heard them)
There are kazilliions of Goldbergs out there. Here’s one with a difference: an arrangement by Tomáš Ille (born 1971) for French horn (Radek Baborák), violin (Dalibor Karvay), marimba (Andrei Pushkarev) and bass clarinet (Petr Velášek). […]
Early Richard Strauss: Beecham’s Macbeth (and more!)
Macbeth, Op. 23 (1886-8) Richard Strauss’ first tone-poem, is not heard much. Norman del Mar devoted much space to it in his fine Strauss books, though, and that piqued my interest many, many years ago […]
125 years young: the Wigmore Hall celebrates, Lise Davidsen headlines
Happy “birth”- day to Wigmore Hall (inasmuch as bricks and mortar are birthed). On the hall’s actual 125th anniversary, it was Lise Davidsen and the equally astonishing collaborative pianist James Baillieu who did the honours: […]
The Tears and Fire of the Muses: Jordi Savall at Wigmore Hall
The Tears and Fire of the Muses, Claudio Monteverdi Revolution Hespèrion XXI; Soloists of La Capella Reial de Catalunya. Wigore Hall, 1pm, 26.05.2026 Samuel Scheidt Pavan dolorosa, SSWV 41; Courant dolorosa, SSWV 47. Monteverdi Lamento […]
Asmik Grigorian at Wigmore Hall
Asmik Grigorian and Lukas Geniušas at Wigmore Hall The Wigmore Hall’s 125th Anniversary Festival is shaping up well: in one day, the venue offered Jordi Savall at lunchtime and Asmik Grigorian in the evening, both […]
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