News

News item: Orlando Consort announces retirement

The Orlando Consort, the world-renowned vocal quartet specialising in Medieval and Renaissance music, has announced its forthcoming retirement in June 2023. The renowned Medieval and early Renaissance vocal quartet the Orlando Consort, is commencing the final 12 months of activities. When the group ceases performing in June 2023, it will

Early Music

Johann David Heinichen: Two Passion Oratorios

Back in March this year, we encountered Johann David Heinichen's Dresden Vespers on the Belgian Accent label. Now the German, Ossnabrück-based cpo label expands the vista with two Passion Oratorios, or to give them the full title, Due Cantate al Sepolcro di nostro Signore; both works were also

Baroque Opera

Titon et L'Aurore at the Opéra Comique

A fabulous performance of an opéra that is a real discovery. Try this: you won't regret it

St Martin's Voices announces its 2022-23 season

Professional Vocal Ensemble St Martin’s Voices Announces 2022–23 Season ·        A new concert series – Beyond the Dawn – comprising six concerts, will run from October 2022 to June 2023 exploring themes of philosophy and discovery with notable guest speakers reflecting on each concert ·        St Martin’s Voices continues and expands

Verdi

La traviata: Lisette Oropesa triumphs

This is Oropesa's Traviata, a truly fine document of her excellence in this opera

English Music

Repost: John Ireland on Chandos

A beautifully varied, stunningly played and recorded disc of music by a composer whose works are absolutely deserving of our attention

News

News item: Rotterdam's Conducting Competition

Bertie Baigent wins the first edition of the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam (photo © Allard Willemse) Bertie Baigent (born 1995, United Kingdom) was awarded the Grand Prix of the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam on Friday, June 3rd. From May 26th to June 3rd, 2022, six young conductors presented themselves in five

French

Repost: Eric Tanguy Chamber Music: “In a Dream”

This is richly rewarding music, brilliantly played and recorded

Vienne et après ... Pianist Andrew Zhou and the music of today

Pianist Andrew Zhou is a laureate of the 2012 Orléans Competition for Contemporary Music, where he was a finalist. This disc, Vienne et après, presents music by Pintscher, Stockhausen, Lachenman, Schoenberg and Walter Zimmermann: core repertoire for that competition, of course! I is part of a project co-cuated by Zhou

Mother Sister Daughter

Musica Secreta launches new album Mother, Sister, Daughter of music from the convent of Galileo Galilei’s daughter at King’s Place including world premiere of Joanna Marsh’s The Veiled Sisters Concert: Friday 10 June 2022, 19:30 Kings Place, London Concert: Friday 24 June 2022, 19:30 Music

Rameau: Nouvelle Symphonie

This is a vibrant release from the Château de Versailles Spectacles label, with Minkowski and his Musiciens du Louvre on top form, with the added bonus of the singer Florien Sempey. Here's a sample: The disc comprises 20 tracks of excerpts from Castor et Pollux, Zoroastre (a delicisious

Dohnányi: Concertos & Variations

The music of Ernst von Dohnányi remains woefully underappreciated - which makes it ripe for consideration here on Classical Explorer, of course! I thoroughly enjoyed Sofia Gulbadamova's disc of Dohnányi solo piano works on this same label, Capriccio. It is a pleasure to hear her again here in

Opera

Concert review: Andrea Chénier from Chelsea Opera Group

One fervently hopes that COG’s sterling work will bring the operatic power of Chénier back into our consciousness

Vivaldi: 12 Concerti di Parigi from Versailles

Some explanation is required firstly on what exactly these “Concerti di Parigi” are. They are "Ripieni Concerti," which means there is no single soloist. You might also encounter them as "Concertos for Strings". Most of them (ten out of the twelve) exist in other versions; the

Piano

L‘Oiseau rebelle: Contemporary Piano Music from Orléans

L’Oiseau Rebelle Music by Langgaard, Bertrand, Lourié, Stockhausen, Kabalevsky, Xenakis, C. P. E. Bach, Cardew, Rossini, Terentyev, C. Schumann and Cage plus Snoop Dogg. Mikhaïl Bouzine (piano). B RECORDS LBM 037 78 mins This is one of a series of discs released by prize-winners to the Orléans Festival of

Chamber

Between Two Worlds: Music for String Quartet

Between Two Worlds is a magnificent disc; beautifully recorded, still mroe beautifully played. It leaves an indelible impact.

Orchestral

Mohammed Fairouz: Symphony No. 5, LSO / Lee Reynolds

This is a piece that seems to challenge and yet to heal at the same time, with the final “Illumination” a pure expression of joy

Chamber

Saint-Georges: Six Concertante Quartets

Do try this disc - it is positively revelatory!

Aziz Shokhakimov in Strasbourg: live concert review

Prokofiev, Shostakovich Simone Lamsma (violin); Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra / Aziz Shokhakimov (conductor). Salle Érasme, Palais de la Musique et des Congrès, Strasbourg, 19.05.2022 Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25, ‘Classical’ (1917) Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 (1948/48) Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet,

Solo Piano

Enigma: Jazz meets Classical

The disc is beaufullly recorded, but it is Nigishi's innate musicality that allows the music to shine - very strongly recommended

Early Music

La Voce Sola: the music of Barbara Strozzi

Superb performances throughout of music of infinite depth and emotion by a truly great composer

Baroque Opera

Rameau Platée on Bluray/DVD

Hilarious, and just what we need in these interesting times

Bruckner

Bruckner Symphony No 2, Thielemann / Vienna PO

Bruckner Second Symphony could hardly ask for a finer advocate than Thielemann

George Walker: Piano Sonatas

The music of American composer George Theophilus Walker (1922-2008) has been gaining some tracktion in recent years, and for good reason, as this superbly recorded and played disc shows

Music in the Round: Sheffield Chamber Music Festival, 2022

Music in the Round: Sheffield Chamber Music Festival, May 14-15.05.2022 (CC) Saturday, May 24, 430-6 pm: Art & Music Roundtable with Helen Grime, Tom McKinney, Tim Horton, David Ainley and Kirstie Hamilton Saturday, May 24, 715 pm Ensemble 360 (Tom Horton, piano; Lucy Gould. Claudia Aumone-Marsan, Sara Wolstenholme,