| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 31-Jan-2013 Bridgewater Hall | Britten, Ravel and Janáček with Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé |
 The 2013 Britten centenary celebrations are now well under way with every major and minor musical institution, British and foreign, scheduling a broad range of works in honour of Britten’s birth. The Hallé’s first contribution, under the direction of Sir Mark Elder, consists of a suite, compiled by Mervyn Cooke and Donald Mitchell, from Britten’s only full-length ballet score The Prince of the Pagodas.Read full review... | |
| 17-Jan-2013 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | Birtwistle's Minotaur at Covent Garden: Impressive but sterile |
 Revivals of 21st century operas on the stages of major houses are rarer than hens' teeth, so the Royal Opera were making a strong statement when they announced the revival of Harrison Birtwistle's 2008 The Minotaur, with the original director and much of the original cast.
Read full review... | |
| 19-Jul-2012 Royal Albert Hall | Prom 8: OAE forces thrill in Handel's Judas Maccabaeus |
 Written in the late 1740s, Judas Maccabaeus was a clever attempt by the ever-wily Handel to capitalize on recent successes, both his own – in the form of the now-established oratorio concert – and that of the nation, in the wake of the recent victories over Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish rebels. Until this evening, only excerpts of the work had been heard at the Proms, and so tonight was an opportunity for the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment and their director, Laurence Cummings, to make their case for a work much less popular now than it was in Handel’s own day.
Read full review... | |
| 13-Jun-2012 Birmingham Symphony Hall | Bryn Terfel: Life and soul of the party at Symphony Hall's 21st |
 Here’s a pertinent fact for a classical music website: in 1991, when the wonderful World Wide Web was poised to ensnare anyone with computer access, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall opened its doors to the concert-going public for the first time. It quickly won critical acclaim with artists from across the globe and it’s known as one of the best anywhere. Patrons love it, and tonight’s capacity audience found itself caught up in a spirit of celebration. Striking flowers adorned the stage, and the chrome on Andris Nelsons’ podium seemed to have added sparkle.Read full review... | |
