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Reviews by Carla Finesilver, silverfin.wordpress.com

Carla studied Music at Royal Holloway, University of London, specialising in music of the 20th century. She plays the flute in a variety of amateur and semi-professional orchestras, chamber and operatic groups. A Londoner, she attends concerts and operas whenever possible. She blogs here.
Date and venueTitle
15-Dec-2012
Southbank Centre: Queen Elizabeth Hall
Gloom, doom, stormy seas, and a Dutchman flown over from Zurich: A concert Flying Dutchman in London
Opera being a strongly visual art form as well as a musical one, the idea of a pure concert performance seems a little strange to those unfamiliar with the form. However, removing the necessity for singers to run around (often in uncomfortable-looking costumes), negotiate (sometimes uncooperative) props and scenery, and bodily convey their thoughts and feelings in a manner visible to amphitheatre Row W, allows for 100% concentration on the music, in particular the expression of character and emotion through voice alone.
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13-Aug-2012
Royal Albert Hall
Prom 42: Prokofiev, Neuwirth and Bartók with the Philharmonia
Image credit: Olga Neuwirth © Dieter BraschAs I write this, I have just realised that someone in a neighbouring flat is listening to some rather loud jazz, a man is shouting outside, probably at the car alarm that has just gone off, and there is a bee buzzing around my room. It’s not that I didn’t hear these noises until now, but I’ve been listening to some Olga Neuwirth, and had just assumed they were all samples forming part of the eclectically diverse sound collage that characterises much of her work.
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9-Nov-2011
Barbican Centre: Hall
Nielsen's flute concerto, a Miraculous Mandarin, and a Mermaid
Image credit: Gareth Davies © London Symphony OrchestraCarl Nielsen had an exceptional understanding of the nuances of woodwind instruments, and when playing the parts he wrote for flautists, the affection is almost palpable. Towards the end of his composing career, he thought of different orchestral instruments as having distinct personalities, and composed their interactions accordingly.
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