Monthly Archives: July 2016

A haunting, poignant Proms opener from the BBCSO and Sakari Oramo

Prom 1: Sol Gabetta; BBCSO/Sakari Oramo **** Royal Albert Hall, 15th July 2016 At the Last Night of the Proms, a colourful sea of flags billow in the Arena of the Royal Albert Hall. For the First Night of the … Continue reading

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Lady of the Lake: Australian Ballet’s Swan Lake glides back to London

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake *** The Australian Ballet, Coliseum, 14th July 2016 “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” Princess Diana’s wry words resonate in Graeme Murphy’s reworking of Swan Lake for The Australian Ballet, premiered in 2002 seven … Continue reading

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Belly laugh: Verdi’s Falstaff ends CBSO season in high spirits

Verdi: Falstaff **** Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 13th July 2016 Laughter is indeed the best medicine. As we try and make sense of the continuing political fallout post EU referendum, the CBSO offered the perfect prescription in the ample form of … Continue reading

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London in Liverpool: Manze and RLPO launch new Vaughan Williams cycle in style

Vaughan Williams: Symphonies 2 & 8 RLPO/Andrew Manze (Onyx 4155) One of the most memorable of Proms concerts in recent years was a trio of Vaughan Williams’ symphonies conducted by Andrew Manze in 2012. He led the BBC Scottish quite … Continue reading

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Full immersion, total immolation: Götterdämmerung crowns Opera North’s magnificent Ring

Wagner: Götterdämmerung ***** Opera North, Royal Festival Hall, 3rd July 2016 Wagner would have made a dreadful Neighbours scriptwriter. His “Previously inThe Ring” at the start of Götterdämmerung is hardly snappy, as the three Norns wind the rope of destiny and … Continue reading

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