Tag Archives: Berlioz

Carthage carnage: Tcherniakov’s Trojans flops at the Bastille

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Mark Pullinger

Berlioz: Les Troyens ** Opéra de Paris, 25th January 2019 What if, after the Fall of Troy, Énée doesn’t end up in Carthage, courting Didon, but washes up in a residential home for war victims suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder instead? … Continue reading →

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Byron’s Harold the unlikely star in Gardiner’s Berlioz bonanza

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Mark Pullinger

Prom 71: ORR/ Gardiner ***** Royal Albert Hall, 5th September 2018 “Q: Why can you often find viola players standing outside your front door? A: They can’t find the right key and never know when to come in!” Viola players … Continue reading →

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As English as roast beef: Nézet-Séguin and L’Orchestre Métropolitain bring Elgar to Paris

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Orchestre Métropolitain/ Nézet-Séguin **** Philharmonie, Paris, 3rd December 2017 It’s always interesting to hear non-English orchestras and conductors playing Elgar. Daniel Barenboim, for example, has established a strong tradition with his Staatskapelle Berlin, as heard at the BBC Proms this summer. Here … Continue reading →

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Rattle leads the LSO on a thrilling ride into the abyss

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust **** Barbican Hall, 19th September 2017 “Diff! Diff! Belzébuth, Belphégor, Astaroth, Méphisto!” Once the hissing demons had greeted Méphistophélès, Faust’s soul successfully delivered after their Ride into the Abyss, calm was restored to the Barbican … Continue reading →

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“Gloire à DiDonato”: Les Troyens takes Strasbourg by storm

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Berlioz: Les Troyens ***** Salle Erasmé, Strasbourg, 17th April 2017 Performances of Berlioz’s epic opera in two parts, Les Troyens, are rare events. Substantially shorter than Wagner’s Ring, it is nonetheless staged far less frequently. Although there was no production … Continue reading →

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