Colin Clarke - Classical Explorer

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Colin Clarke

Elgar and Roderick Williams: conjoined meditations on Death

Live Performance

Elgar and Roderick Williams: conjoined meditations on Death

The full impact of Gerontius' spirituality did not quite come across in this eminently well-disciplined performance

Lalo and (Enrique) Casals Cello Concertos

Lalo and (Enrique) Casals Cello Concertos

I can't stress this enough: not just for cellists. This music is vibrant and profound, and will bring significant joy

More Bruckner: Symphony No. 2 in the rare 1872 version

More Bruckner: Symphony No. 2 in the rare 1872 version

We hear Bruckner on the way to true greatness, and on that road he births a fine, fine symphony

Many trees, not so much wood: Klaus Mäkelä conducts Bruckner

Many trees, not so much wood: Klaus Mäkelä conducts Bruckner

A performance replete with beauty and technical excellence, then, but one that ultimately failed to satisfy

Pianist Francesco Piemontesi impresses in Dresden

Pianist Francesco Piemontesi impresses in Dresden

Francesco Piemontesi is one of the finest of young pianists and deserves to be fully recognised as such

Alice Sara Ott in Beethoven

Alice Sara Ott in Beethoven

This is, in many ways, a fascinating disc. The interest here lies in the couplings: a carefully-judged mix of the super-familiar with the rare. The Concerto, No. 1, has been covered here on Classical Explorer a number of times, often through complete sets. The Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra under Karina

A cunning farmer girl: Wranitzky continues to delight

A cunning farmer girl: Wranitzky continues to delight

A fine continuation of the Naxos Wranitzky series

Pappano's Rimsky and Mussorgsky

Pappano's Rimsky and Mussorgsky

it is wonderful to hear the St Cecilia forces in such fine fettle.

Schumann Symphones from Dresden

Robert Schumann

Schumann Symphones from Dresden

The Dresden Philharmonic under Janowski provide a stunning set of Schumann Symphonies

Rothko Chapel: Manchester Collective and SANSARA mesmerise

Live Performance

Rothko Chapel: Manchester Collective and SANSARA mesmerise

A simply superb concert

Fear No More: Brindley Sherratt's remarkable disc

Fear No More: Brindley Sherratt's remarkable disc

Billed as Sherratt's “debut song recital recording,” all I can say is what a way to start

Chamber and String Orchestra Music by Huw Watkins

Chamber and String Orchestra Music by Huw Watkins

We met Huw Watkins (seen by some as the leading Welsh composer of his generation) at Milton Court recently, for the World Premiere of his Horn Concerto. That was not Classical Explorer’s first reportage of Watkins, however: in 2022, we reported on his “Resurrection often Soldiers” from Spenser Pieces

Prism: Fenella Humphrey's solo violin disc

Prism: Fenella Humphrey's solo violin disc

We met violinist Fenella Humphreys before in a disc of works for violin and piano by Sibelius (in which she was joined by the ever-excellent pianist Joseph Tong). Here she is, toute seule, offering a magnificent solo recital. A whole disc of solo violin might seem hard work (unless one

I Fagiolini's powerful Monteverdi at Wigmore Hall

I Fagiolini's powerful Monteverdi at Wigmore Hall

Monteverdi I Fagiolini / Robert Hollingworth (director / organ). Wigmore Hall, 1 pm, 29.04.2024 O primavera, gioventù dell'anno, SV 68 (publ. 1592) ‘Rimanti in pace’ a dolente e bella, SV 74 (publ. 1592) Lamento della ninfa, SV 163 (publ. 1638) Sfogava con le stelle, SV 78 (publ. 1603)

The End of the World: Götterdämmerung in London

The End of the World: Götterdämmerung in London

Wagner Götterdämmerung (semi-staged). Soloists; London Philharmonic Choir; London Voices; London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski, KBE. Royal Festival Hall, 27.04.2024 Production: Director – P. J. Harris Video Designer – Pierre Martin Oriol Lighting Designer – Mark Jonathan Lighting Programmer –Rohan McDermott Cast: Siegfried – Burkhard Fritz Brünnhilde - Svetlana Sozdateleva Hagen – Albert Dohmen

Jonathan Biss plays Brett Dean and Beethoven

Jonathan Biss plays Brett Dean and Beethoven

The price of the disc is definitely worth it for Dean's Winter Journey alone.

Everyday Non-sense: Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Aurora's Southbank adventure

Everyday Non-sense: Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Aurora's Southbank adventure

Fascinating, enriching, and unforgettable. But, frankly, you might just as easily hate it

Earthcycle: Orchestra of the Swan

Earthcycle: Orchestra of the Swan

The Stratford-upon-Avon based ensemble Orchestra of the Swan is one of the most inventive groups around in the UK today – this extends from their programming to their use of multimedia to the subjects they take on. Their performances tend towards the mesmeric; their videos are phenomenally inventive. In February 2023,

Benjamin Grosvenor at the Wigmore: Brett Dean, Bach, Brahms

Benjamin Grosvenor at the Wigmore: Brett Dean, Bach, Brahms

A phenomenal beginning to what I truly hope was an enriching day

Handel's Ariadne: the London Handel Festival's “Arianna in Creta”

Handel's Ariadne: the London Handel Festival's “Arianna in Creta”

Handel’s Arianna: An unforgettable close to the London Handel Festival’s ‘Spring Awakenings’ festival This is not the London Handel Festival’s first stab at Handel’s unjustly neglected opera, Arianna in Creta; it was previously staged at the Royal College of Music in March 2014. Here, it was

Jasdeep Singh Degun: “Anomaly”

Jasdeep Singh Degun: “Anomaly”

A fantastic disc, full of energy, history and yet completely of the moment

Frozen Moments: The elusive music of Mette Nielsen

Frozen Moments: The elusive music of Mette Nielsen

A phenomenal disc , then: one of the finest of young quartets presenting the fascinating music of a major compositional talent

Wavesongs: Gordon Crosse meets Fauré & Ravel

Wavesongs: Gordon Crosse meets Fauré & Ravel

This is a fascinating disc or transcriptions and a work by a sadly recently deceased contemporary composer, Gordon Crosse (1937-2021). You can hear excerpts on the following promo video: Fauré's First Cello Sonata in D-Minor is a late work (Op. 109, doing from 1917). The disquiet of the

Véronique Gens and Susan Manoff at Wigmore Hall

Véronique Gens and Susan Manoff at Wigmore Hall

Wigmore Hall, Monday, 15.04.2024 Gouond Oü voulez-vous aller?. Viens, les gazons sont verts Edmond de Polignac Lamento. Chausson La chanson bien douce, Op. 34/1. Les papillons, Op. 2/3. Reynaldo Hahn Le rossignol des lilas. Séraphine. Paysage. Les cygnes. Aimons-nous! Fauré Le papillon et la fleur, Op.

Southbank Centre announces its Autumn-Winter 2024/25 season

Southbank Centre announces its Autumn-Winter 2024/25 season

A cornucopia of delight at London's Southbank