| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 26-Apr-2013 Philharmonie: Großer Saal | Hope in adversity: The Berlin Philharmonic and Radio Choir perform Tippett and Dean |
 Programming is a delicate art, and one which is difficult to get right. However, it is one of Simon Rattle’s fortes, and this was clearly evident in Friday night’s concert. Both works on the programme, Brett Dean’s The Last Days of Socrates and Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time are large-scale oratorios dealing with difficult subject matter, and it is highly unusual to pair such works. But they both share one overarching theme: hope in the face of adversity. Though full of despair and sorrow, it is hope that draws both works to a close.Read full review... | |
| 15-Feb-2013 The London Coliseum | Sarah Connolly tops a stellar cast in ENO's production of Charpentier's Medea |
 When going to see a new production at ENO, always expect the unexpected. In ENO’s recent history, that has certainly been true, though not always to its credit. Friday’s opening performance of Charpentier’s Medea was no exception to the rule; however, in this case, it was an opulent, stylish and fabulous (in more than one sense) production, complemented by a truly spectacular cast.
Read full review... | |
| 18-Oct-2012 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | Connolly and Terfel stand out in a thought-provoking Walküre at Covent Garden |
 If you've been brought up with the Judaeo-Christian ideal of an all-powerful, all-good God, Norse mythology can come as a bit of a shock. Wotan, the father of the gods, is philandering, deceitful, power-hungry, sentimental, violent and ultimately weak - the gamut of human frailties writ large. Combine all of those with a magic spear and the ability to control the weather and you know that things aren't going to end well.
Read full review... | |
| 1-Aug-2012 Royal Albert Hall | Prom 25: BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Proms Youth Choir with David Robertson |
 The numerous links and connections between each of tonight’s pieces make this a very cleverly crafted programme, on paper at least. Unified by a theme of ‘reflection and questioning’, the concert is evenly balanced, with two open-ended, questioning pieces (Ives’ The Unanswered Question and Zimmermann’s Nobody knows de trouble I see are both left hanging, unable to find resolution) each followed by a more pensive piece (Barber’s immensely popular Adagio and Tippett’s contemplative A Child of Our Time respectively).Read full review... | |
