What you have to say when performing for Putin
Ilia Papoian, who came third at the last Tchaikovsky Competition, is happy to speak truth to power when he gets the chance: “It is an enormous honor for me to perform before the president in […]
classical music
Sometimes it takes kids to put big names to shame
Alastair Macaulay has been out reviewing student productions: Three British choreographers: Ashton, Alston, Wheeldon One theatre critic used to boast that he never reviewed amateurs. I’ll concede that many amateur performances aren’t worth reviewing, but […]
Aphrodite gets major management
The Greek soprano Aphrodite Patoulidou, a protégée of Barbara Hannigan, has been snapped up by AskonasHolt. Worth it, just for this: In other agency news, HarrisonParrott has signed another Korean who’s still at school. Violinist […]
%20in%20The%20Merry%20Widow.%20Credit%20Mihaela%20Bodlovic.%20(2).jpg?w=510&resize=510,510&ssl=1 "The Merry Widow meets the Godfather: Scottish Opera brings John Savournin's new production of Lehár's operetta to Opera Holland Park")
The Merry Widow meets the Godfather: Scottish Opera brings John Savournin’s new production of Lehár’s operetta to Opera Holland Park
Lehár: The Merry Widow – Alex Otterburn, Henry Waddington – Scottish Opera (Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic) Lehár: The Merry Widow; Paula Sides, Alex Otterburn, Rhian Lois, William Morgan, Henry Waddington, director: John Savournin, Scottish Opera, conductor: […]
Brendel came fourth
From the Busoni Piano Competition: It is with great regret that we receive the news of the passing of the great Alfred Brendel. Peter Paul Kainrath, artistic director, speaks for everyone at the Busoni-Mahler Foundation […]
Ruth Leon recommends… Art Thief: Lessons from Wayne Thiebaud
Wayne Thiebaud While famous for his paintings of American confections, Wayne Thiebaud’s passionate engagement with art history remains largely overlooked. In this documentary, produced by the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco to support their […]
Cough and phone wreck a Kaufmann recital
From a review of the tenor’s recital at the Luxembourg Philharmonie: “Tränenahnung” (premonition of tears) sets in. The audience has noticeably stopped breathing to follow the increasingly powerful piano playing of the tenor and his […]
The Pope calls in six pianists
Pope Leo is reputed to be a keen music lover with an eye for talent. Today he has roped in six of the finest finger flyers for his Friday noon recital. The six are Gabriela […]
Donizetti: Songs on Opera Rara, #4
Opera Rara’s Donizetti Song Project is the latest in their alchemical mix of musicology and performance. But why say with Volume Four first? Because recently we heard Bellini’s La straniella (see this post), and Donizetti […]
Who decided this was a good idea?
I feel sorry for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. They got themselves a new hot-stuff conductor in 2020, and now a recording arrangement with Pentatone (although that’s not as prestigious as it once was), and this […]
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