An eye (and ear) catching coupling. Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony is front and centre of the core repertoire these days – though not always in performances as good as this one – but we rarely hear Kurt Weill’s…
This being the last of these columns for the time being, I thought I’d reflect some more on the issues that keep me and my colleagues so exercised from month to month: the art of realisation, recreation,…
There’s something extraordinarily satisfying about embarking upon Sibelius’ entire symphonic journey in a single one-day sitting. The evolution and refining of language and expression, the juxtaposition of the romantic and the radical is clarified and renewed. Total…
You might describe this entertaining disc as trumpeting (apologies) the extraordinary talents of Romain Leleu through a medium well used to making a star of his chosen instrument. And where else would you start in this celebration…
Daniel Hope was never just another violin virtuoso. His curiosity, his ability to think outside the box, to embrace passions beyond the so-called core repertoire, is borne out with each successive album. This one pays homage to…
There is much to commend in Noseda’s account of this most extraordinary symphony – and I speak as one whose recent and exhaustive explorations of it on BBC Radio 3 have only served to intensify my admiration.…
I never need much of an excuse to write about Leonard Bernstein – but in the wake of the Spielberg remake of West Side Story (doubtless laden with awards by the time these words are published) I…
Sunday 5th June 2022 3.00pm Crazy Coqs, Brasserie Zédel Comparing Notes brings stars of the West End and Broadway to Crazy Coqs. In a lively and informal mix of performance and conversation host Edward Seckerson will be getting…
John Wilson is on a mission to bring his restorative ear to bear on Ravel’s orchestral catalogue – so expect more of insight and excellence from this source. Astonishing to think that a score as frequently performed…
The cello as cantor. And for Edgar Moreau the incantations plainly run deep. The ‘Transmission’ of the title goes from the heart to the heart, every prayerful inflection, every melismatic phrase invoking something as personal as it…
