Monthly Archives: April 2015

“Spirit of delight”: Staggering Elgar from Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin

Tchaikovsky/Elgar: Staatskapelle Berlin/Barenboim **** Royal Festival Hall, 21st April 2015 London has been fortunate to host two great Berlin orchestras exploring repertoire unfamiliar to them in recent months. In February, the Berliner Philharmoniker dipped its toes into icy Sibelian waters, … Continue reading

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“Sound and fury”: a terrific Manfred from Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia

Scriabin, Mozart, Tchaikovsky: Philharmonia/Ashkenazy **** Royal Festival Hall, 19th April 2015 Tchaikovsky’s Manfred is the black sheep of his symphonic canon. Many conductors refuse to include it in performed or recorded cycles. Based on Byron’s dramatic poem, it is a strange, … Continue reading

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No sweat for Brautigam: Mozart cycle of concertos for BIS continues

Mozart: Piano Concertos 15 & 16  Ronald Brautigam; Kölner Akademie/ Michael Alexander Willens The cover photo is an indication of how far Ronald Brautigam is through his cycle of Mozart piano concertos for BIS. The series “From Forest to Concert … Continue reading

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Morera and Muntagirov flood La Fille mal gardée with spring sunshine at The Royal Ballet

Hérold: La Fille mal gardée **** The Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, 16th April 2015 Considering its French title, Sir Frederick Ashton’s ballet La Fille mal gardée is quintessentially English. It is an affectionate depiction of his beloved Suffolk, all maypoles, butter … Continue reading

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Bogotá es Mozart: Colombia gives an object lesson to the rest of the world

Picture the scene: Easter Saturday afternoon in Bogotá and outside the Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción de Suba, the locals queued not just down the block, but down the next four streets. No, it wasn’t a religious service, which would … Continue reading

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