Reviews
While I am familiar enough with the world of the classical guitar, and have earlier reviewed Mr Rupert Boyd’s previous collection of Fantasias on Serenade, I have heard cello music much less frequently and have never actually come across duets between these two instruments before. My first impression when
Reviews
It is not often that three of the world’s greatest string players come together to make chamber music. On the 24th of August violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann was joined by viola player Antoine Tamestit and cellist Christian Poltéra. In many ways the string trio formation (also that of two
Reviews
There is an air of extreme anticipation in the buzzing little city of Mozart’s birth, Salzburg. The French president is in the city and is expected to be at the concert of the evening of 23rd August. This is a soloist concert in the late evening at the Grosses
Reviews
First of all kudos to Giving Voice for producing this delightful comic opera using predominantly an Indian cast. This would not have been possible without the support of various sponsors and donors. However, had it not been for the artistic directors Patricia Rozario and Mark Troop who have single-handedly groomed
Reviews
Jennifer Heemstra, the iconic entrepreneur, pianist and social activist (Yes, I actually said that) of cultural enlightenment and change, who has in three brief years made this city her second home and brought some great American talent to its audiences, presented in the latest of this year’s series, the
Reviews
A concert at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford is, at least for this reviewer, never just a concert at the Sheldonian. Woven into the Sheldonian’s tapestries are the stuff of legend; blending with its paintings are picture windows framing the gleaming, sunburnt walls of Oxford’s architectural treasures. This
Reviews
I was fortunate enough to hear Amar during both his performances in Mumbai, this year. Had I only heard him during his first appearance on Saturday 8th July, this would have been a lukewarm review. This was because his second performance was much better than the first one. The Prithvi
Reviews
The Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris has, to its credit, revived the 17th century tradition of operas in concert version, where the orchestra appear on stage and the singers are allocated limited space in front of them, with few or no props. However, this demands an even higher standard of
Reviews
In a country where the strains of filmy Bollywood music constantly dominates a child’s exposure to music, the ‘Classics, it’s Classy’ concert series, poses a significant alternative to such an exposure. Performed by the Symphony Orchestra of India’s Chamber Ensemble and conducted by Evgeny Bushkov at the
Reviews
Concert-going often involves a spot of sleuthing – what, if anything, links diverse works in a programme? Kristjan Järvi’s concert with the MDR Symphony Orchestra on June 11 at the Gewandhaus, Leipzig, appeared to be underpinned by geographical links to Leipzig. For the first work, a transcription for full orchestra
Reviews
Oper Leipzig’s staging of Puccini’s 1903 opera Madama Butterfly proved yet again how effectively theatre can enhance music, with imaginative sets, good casting and extremely good acting. The story is (almost too) familiar: a US Navy officer, Benjamin Franklin (!) Pinkerton, hungry to ‘make his own/the flowers of
Reviews
A prelude to his appointment as Gewandhauskapellmeister this autumn, Andris Nelsons’ 2nd June concert with the Gewandhaus Orchestra at the Gewandhaus, Leipzig, had all its familiar magic. That he continues to hold his Music Directorship at the Boston Symphony Orchestra in parallel, allows for fruitful musical cross-fertilisation, an example of
