Thursday, 10 January 2008

Simon Keenlyside at Wigmore Hall,9 January 2008

Review of the redoubtable Simon Keenlyside at the Wigmore Hall on 9 January 2008:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/wigmore-keenlyside-0108.shtml

Welsh National Opera's 2008-09 season announced, including Dennis O'Neill, Amanda Roocroft, Rebecca Evans and Ann Murray:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/wno-preview-0108.shtml

Bach Cello Suites on Harmonia Mundi:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-queyras-bach-0108.shtml

James Macmillan on LSO Live:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-lso-macmillan-0108.shtml

Thursday, 3 January 2008

Nina Stemme cancels ROH Simon Boccanegra; Kristin Chenoweth sings Cunegonde in ENO Candide; Rake's Progress and Wozzeck DVDs on Opus Arte

Nina Stemme has cancelled her role debut as Amelia Grimaldi in the John Eliot Gardiner-conducted Simon Boccanegra at the ROH in May 2008; Kristin Chenoweth will sing Cunegonde in Candide at ENO in June:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/casting-stemme-chenoweth-0108.shtml

Robert Lepage's production of The Rake's Progress comes to Covent Garden in July; watch it first on DVD with Andrew Kennedy:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-rake-0108.shtml

Calixto Bieto's production of Wozzeck on DVD:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-bieito-wozzeck-0108.shtml

Preview of London and UK concerts in January 2008:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/concerts-preview-0108.shtml

Kapp Family Orchestral Works on Chandos:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-kapp-jarvi-0108.shtml

Renee Fleming as Violetta in Decca's DVD of La traviata:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-traviata-fleming-1207.shtml

Piano Concerti by Melcer on Hyperion:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-melcer-concertos-1207.shtml

Des Knaben Wunderhorn on Hyperion:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-genz-mahler-1207.shtml

Alwyn Piano Works on Naxos:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-alwyn-wass-0108.shtml

Herz's piano music on Hyperion:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-herz-piano-1207.shtml

Handel's Esther, Tamerlano and Acis and Galatea and Bostridge's Great Handel:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-handel-1207.shtml

La pietra del paragone on Naive:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-pietra-naive-1207.shtml

Volume 2 of Bavouzet's Debussy Piano Collection on Chandos:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-bavouzet-debussy2-1207.shtml

The finale of the Adelaide Ring -Götterdämmerung on Melba
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-adelaide-gd-1207.shtml

The last concert in Gardiner's Bach Cantatas pilgrimage:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-bach-4-1207.shtml

See more at http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/index.htm

Coming Soon: Gergiev's Mahler, I puritani on DVD with Netrebko, interview with Judith Howart on ENO's Madama Butterfly and much more!

Monday, 17 December 2007

La Cenerentola opens at Covent Garden with Kozena, Corbelli and Spence

I absolutely love Rossini's La Cenerentola and I've seen it many times, which is perhaps why I'm so critical of it? I couldn't tell if the rest of the audience regarded this performance more highly than I did, but I know of at least one other person who felt roughly the same.

The review is here:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-cenerentola-1207.shtml


And a reminder of our interviews with Alessandro Corbelli and Toby Spence:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/corbelli-1207.shtml
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/spence.shtml

ROH Cenerentola

Review here:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-cenerentola-1207.shtml

In preparation for tonight's first night of La Cenerentola at the ROH, two interviews with members of the cast:

Alessandro Corbelli:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/corbelli-1207.shtml

Toby Spence:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/spence.shtml

Friday, 7 December 2007

Bernard Haitink returns to the ROH in Parsifal

Review here:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-parsifal-1207.shtml

I think it's pretty shameful to have revived this production which nobody liked last time around. Couldn't they have bought another one in from somewhere?

Monday, 26 November 2007

New production of Turn of the Screw opens at ENO

I don't care what anyone else says, and the newspapers can give it one star and call it soulless and misguided if they want. I loved English National Opera's new production of The Turn of the Screw and I've already booked to see it again!

Read my review here:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/eno-screw-1107.shtml

Some new CD reviews:
Andrew Manze Schubert http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-manze-schubert-1107.shtml
Takacs Quartet Brahms http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-brahms-takacs-1107.shtml
Jon Vickers Four Portraits DVD: http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-vickers-scenes-1107.shtml

Friday, 23 November 2007

LSO/Gergiev Mahler Symphony Cycle continues with the Sixth

Una-Frances evidently enjoyed the latest installment, coupled with Tishchenko's Cello Concerto played by Tim Hugh:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/lso-gergiev-mahler-1107.shtml

Tomorrow: Chelsea Opera Group's Maria Stuarda, Scottish Opera's Il Seraglio, plus several CD reviews.

D.