Mixed composer recitals on a theme can be a bit hit and miss; but on the other hand can hold revelations, and can constitute eminently satisfying listening experiences. I came across several of the latter recently while writing an article on Spring in piano music for Pianist magazine (soon to

Schubert, Mayer Insula Orchestra / Laurence Equilbey. La Seine Musicale, Paris, 27.02.2024 Schubert Overture, Des Teufels Lustschloß, D 84 (1813/14)  Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D 417, ‘Tragic’ (1816)   Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 1 in C minor (1847)    Insula Orchestra programmes are always stimulating. No extra elements

The label LAWO is establishing itself as questing, infinitely curious, and ambitious. No release shows these aspects better than this. The Violin Concerto No. 2, “The American Four Seasons” by Philip Glass is a remarkable piece Here, the harpsichord of the orignal 2009 piece is replaced by synthesizer, which links

Delibes Lakmé Cast; Chorus and Orchestra of Chelsea Opera Group / Matthew Scott Rogers (conductor). Cadogan Hall, London, 25.02.2024. Cast:  Lakmé - Haegee Lee  Gérald - Elgan Llŷr Thomas  Frédéric - Julien Van Mellaerts Nilikantha – James Platt  Mallika – Polly Leach  Hadji – Magnus Walker  Mistress Bentson – Sarah Pring  Miss Ellen

While most people know the Cello Concerto, Dvorak's Violin Concerto and his Piano Concerto still remain undervalued, despite the advocacy of some high-profile artists. There have been notable performances of the Violin Concerto in more recent years - one that really impressed me was Akiko Suwanai with the

The first group to record all of Beethoven's 16 String Quartets, the Léner Quartet was a group from Budapest. Three of the members were pupils of Jenő Hubay; founded in 1918, the line-up was Jenő Léner, violin I; Joszef Smilovits, violin II; Sándor Roth, viola; Imre Hartman, cello.

The last recording sessions of the great Rudolf Serkin ...

Ruders The Handmaid’s Tale Cast; Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera / Joana Carneiro. 03.02.2024 Production:  Director – Annilese Miskimmon  Set and Costume designer – Annemarie Woods  Lighting designer – Paule Constable (revival lighting director Marc Rosette)  Video designer – Akhila Krishnan  Sound designer – Yvonne Gilbert  Movement director  – Imogen Knights (revival

A guest post by Mirka Zemanová East Wind IV: ALL THINGS IN HARMONY The above is the title of the concert which will be given at St John's Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HA, on 10 February 2024 at 7:00 p.m., to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

SOMM Recordings announces Bruckner from the Archives, a major new, six-double-CD-volume series celebrating the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner’s birth in 1824.   Conceived and designed by SOMM Executive Producer and acclaimed Audio Restoration Engineer Lani Spahr with support from the Bruckner Society of America, the series features rare archival

SKY BURIAL Gounod, Fauré Oliver Barlow (treble); John Brancy (baritone); Amitai Pati (tenor); Mat Collishaw (filmmaker); accentus; Insula Orchestra / Laurence Equilbey (conductor). Barbican Hall, London, 20,11.2023 Gounod – Saint François d’Assise  Fauré – Requiem    The first iteration of this film/concert was in Paris earlier this year at La

The three-disc set of Lully's ‘tragédie en musique” in a Prologue and Five Acts Thesée performed by Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset will be released on Friday 13th (!) October, 2023. Here, we present a preview (including the fruits of an interview with Rousset), as I will be

Booklet annotator Piero Rattalino makes an impassioned and eminently justifiable case for the early piano works of Debussy; Korean pianist Ilia Kim echoes him in sound. Some of these pieces aretoo often seen as curios, reserved for illlustrated talks, or recitals in piano festivals. But they are far more than

DiDonato is radian; and to have Il Pomo d'Oro offering the orchestral contribution like a newly-restored painting makes this very special indeed

It is worth focusing on the String Quartet No. 2 here: Dvořák’s later quartets get all the glory, but the earlier ones - admittedly expansive - make for a great listen. The quartet, in B flat major and with the catalogue number B. 17, was written in 1868-70. The