At Home He Feels Like A Tourist

Category: Contemporary Classical

• Contemporary Classical Culture Feminism London London Streets Opera Power

  The Women of Whitechapel at the ENO review *****

  Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel English National Opera, 3rd April 2019 Composer Iain Bell and his librettist Emma Jenkins wanted to call this just The Women of Whitechapel. Some marketing types at the ENO decided it needed to be prefixed with the title of the infamous murderer, charitably…

  April 19, 2019
• Classical Music Concert Concerto Contemporary Classical Culture Hungary London

  Ligeti Immersion Day at the Barbican review ****

  Ligeti Immersion Day, Guildhall Musicians, BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor), Sofi Jeaninn (conductor), Augustin Hadelich (violin), Nicolas Hodges (piano) Milton Court Concert Hall, St Giles’ Cripplegate, Barbican Hall, 2nd March 2019 Not obligatory to illustrate the world of Gyorgy Ligeti with a “universe” picture. But given the…

  March 21, 2019
• Classical Music Concert Contemporary Classical Culture London Minimalism

  Steve Reich: London Sinfonietta at the Royal Festival Hall review ****

  London Sinfonietta, Synergy Vocals, Micaela Haslam, Andrew Gourlay (conductor), Sound Intermedia Royal Festival Hall, 12th February in 2019 Steve Reich Clapping Music Runner for Large Ensemble Music for 18 Musicians Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? The good thing, in this case, being the minimalist…

  March 3, 2019
• Classical Music Concert Contemporary Classical Culture Hungary London Science Symphony

  Peter Eotvos and the Philharmonia at the Royal Festival Hall review ***

  Philharmonia Orchestra, Peter Eötvös (conductor), Iveta Apkalna (organ), László Fassang (Hammond organ) Royal Festival Hall, 7th February 2019 Arnold Schoenberg – Accompaniment to an Imaginary Film Scene, Op. 34 Bela Bartok – Dance Suite Igor Stravinsky – Symphony in Three Movements Peter Eotvos – Multiversum A sort of panic purchase…

  February 22, 2019
• Concert Contemporary Classical Culture Gigs History Industry London Minimalism Oratorio Pop/Rock/Indie Technology USA

  Julia Wolfe’s Anthracite Fields at King’s Place review *****

  Bang on a Can All Stars, BBC Singers, Tecwyn Evans (conductor) Kings Place Hall One, 19th January 2019 I had heard a few snippets of Julia Wolfe’s compositions but freely admit this was a bit of a leap into the unknown. Still what I had heard seemed interesting, I was keen…

  January 29, 2019
• Concert Concerto Contemporary Classical Culture London

  SoundState Festival: LPO at the Royal Festival Hall review ***

  London Philharmonic Orchestra, Marin Alsop (conductor), Stewart McIlwham (piccolo), Colin Currie (percussion) Royal Festival Hall, 16th January 2019 Arne Gieshoff – Burr Anders Hillborg – Sound Atlas Erkki-Sven Tuur – Piccolo Concerto (Solastalgia) Louis Andriessen – Agamemnon Helen Grime – Percussion Concerto It is amazing what a little bit of…

  January 26, 2019
• Classical Music Contemporary Classical Culture Denmark Finland London Symphony

  The LSO and Barbara Hannigan at the Barbican review ****

  London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle, Barbara Hannigan (soprano) Barbican Hall, 10th January 2019 Sibelius – Symphony No 7 in C major, Op 105 Hans Abrahamsen – let me tell you Nielsen – Symphony No 4 “Inextinguishable”, Op 29 I am pretty sure that Simon Rattle’s Sibelius cycle with the…

  January 22, 2019
• Baroque Classical Music Concert Contemporary Classical Culture London Opera

  My top ten concerts and opera of 2018

  Just a list so I don’t forget. 1. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – English National Opera – 4th March Not quite a war-horse of a production but Robert Carsen’s version of Britten’s Shakespearean opera looks, sounds and, well, is just wonderful. 2. Ligeti in Wonderland – South Bank – 11th,…

  January 15, 2019
• Classical Music Concert Contemporary Classical Culture Italy Literature London Structuralism

  The Swingling Sixties: the LPO at the Royal Festival Hall review *****

  London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski, The Swingles, London Philharmonic Choir Royal Festival Hall, 8th December 2018 Elizabeth Atherton – soprano Maria Ostroukhova – mezzo-soprano Sam Furness – tenor Joel Williams – tenor Theodore Platt – baritone Joshua Bloom – bass Stravinsky – Variations (Aldous Huxley in Memoriam) Stravinsky – Threni…

  December 28, 2018
• Baroque Classical Music Concert Contemporary Classical Culture London Minimalism

  Glass and Reich: LSO at the Barbican review ***

  Divine Geometry: London Symphony Orchestra, Kristjan Jarvi, Simone Dinnerstein (piano) Barbican Hall, 29th November 2018 Charles Coleman – Drenched Charles Coleman – Bach Inspired Philip Glass – Piano Concerto No 3 Kristjan Jarvi – Too Hot to Handel Steve Reich – Music for Ensemble and Orchestra Funny one this. As…

  December 23, 2018
• Classical Music Concert Contemporary Classical Culture Early Music London Love Renaissance Time

  Time Stands Still: Aurora Orchestra at Kings Place review ****

  Aurora Principal Players, Iestyn Davies (countertenor), Sally Pryce (harp), John Reid (piano), Nico Muhly Kings Place, 23rd November 2018 Satie – Gymnopédie No. 3 Thomas Adès – The Lover in Winter Nico Muhly – Clear Music Debussy – Danse Sacrée et Danse profane Brahms – Gestillte Sehnsucht Nico Muhly –…

  December 12, 2018
• Classical Music Concert Contemporary Classical Culture London War

  Brodsky Quartet at Kings Place review *****

  Brodsky Quartet, In Time of War Kings Place, 18th November 2018 Karen Tanaka – At the grave of Beethoven Erwin Schulhoff – String Quartet No 1 Shostakovich – String Quartet No 8 Dave Brubeck – Regret George Crumb – Black Angels It’s been donkey’s years since I last saw the…

  December 3, 2018