In my next Lebrecht Interview on BBC Radio 3, the conductor Sir Simon Rattle talks frankly about his often-turbulent 16 years at the head of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. “You try lots of things,” […]
Statement by the organisation representing most European opera houses, relating to the political crisis in Slovakia: Opera Europa is deeply shocked and gravely concerned by the abrupt decision on August 6th by Slovakia’s culture minister, […]
From the Lebrecht Album of the Week: Franz Liszt has been cancelled by the world’s orchestras, probably for something he said on social media. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a Liszt orchestral […]
.jpg?w=510&resize=510,510&ssl=1 "Prom 37: intense contrasts thundering cannonades to personal intimacy, Antonio Pappano conducts Britten's War Requiem at the BBC Proms")
Britten: War Requiem – Allan Clayton, Natalya Romaniw, Antonio Pappano, Will Liverman, London Symphony Orchestra at the BBC Proms with chorus directors Mariana Rosas and Neil Ferris (Photo: BBC/Chris Christodoulou) Britten: War Requiem; Natalya Romaniw, […]
Like the repertoire concertos of Brahms and Beethoven, Busoni’s Violin Concerto is cast in D major (and indeed, Busoni wrote cadenzas for both of his great predecessors’ concertos). Busoni’s Violin Concerto, Op. 37a, was premiered […]
Fiddler on the Roof – Open Air Theatre in Regents Park How wonderful to have Fiddler on the Roof back and, originally playing in Regents Park until September 21st has now been extended to the 28th. […]
The Miró Quartet at La Jolla Music Society in 2024 [Photo: Ken Jacques] The Miró Quartet‘s album, Home, released in May 2024 is the quartet’s second album on Pentatone, following their recording of Beethoven’s Complete […]
Sometimes described as Japan’s leading composer, Toshio Hosokawa (born 1955) s a composer whose scores, while Modernist, exude beauty. The Naxos series of his works is significant: it has been over a decade since I […]
So in Love – Kiss Me Kate There’s a new production of Cole Porter’s great musical at the Barbican Theatre until Sept 14th. The casting is a bit odd. Who would ever have thought of bluff, […]
Alastair Macaulay writes movingly about a musician he greatly admired: John Cage (1912-1992) died thirty-two years ago today, a few weeks before his eightieth birthday. Merce Cunningham, his life partner, came home from rehearsals […]
