United Kingdom Sciarrino, Berio, Terranova, Filidei: Anna Radziejewska (mezzo-soprano); London Sinfonietta / Marco Angius (conductor), St John’s, Smith Square, London, 13.10.2016. (CC)
Colin Clarke
The Fairy Queen: Musically a Triumph but the Production Tried Too Hard
United Kingdom Purcell, The Fairy Queen (semi-staged performance): Soloists, Choir of the Academy of Ancient Music; Academy of Ancient Music / Richard Egarr (harpsichord/director). Barbican Hall, London, 10.10.2016. (CC)
The Exotic Music of the Indian Subcontinent Comes to London
United Kingdom Darbar Festival 2016 – Vocal Carnatic and Hindustani music: Aruna Sairam (carnatic vocal); Jayanthi Kumaresh Saraswati (veena); Jyotsna Srikanth (carnatic violin); Venkatesh Balaraman (mridangam); Dr S Karthick (ghatam); Pandits Rajan & Sajan Mishra (khayal vocals); Pandit Kumar Bose (tabla); Dharamnath Mishra (harmonium). Royal Festival Hall, London, 17.9.2016. (CC)
Haydn and Mysliveček Provide a Memorable Evening, Full of Delights
United Kingdom Haydn, Mysliveček: Susanna Hurrell (Gasparina); Rachel Kelly (Apollonia); Kitty Whately (Don Ettore); Robert Murray (Don Pelagio); Orchestra of Classical Opera/Ian Page. Wigmore Hall, London, 19.9.2016. (CC)
Memorable Chopin and Prokofiev in Yuliana Avdeeva’s Wigmore Hall Debut
United Kingdom Bach, Chopin, Prokofiev: Yuliana Avdeeva (piano). Wigmore Hall, London, 15.9.2016. (CC)
Good Singing in Rossini’s Il barbiere but Orchestral Contribution was Below Par
United Kingdom Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia: Cast, Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Henrik Nánási (conductor), Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 13.9.2016. (CC)
Orchestra is the Star in Covent Garden’s Misconceived Production of Norma
United Kingdom Bellini, Norma: Soloists, Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Antonio Pappano (conductor). Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 12.9.2016. (CC)
The Last Night of the Proms Fails Fully to Ignite
United Kingdom Prom 75 – The Last Night of the Proms: Juan Diego Flórez (tenor); Duncan Rock (baritone); Francesca Chiejina, Eve Daniell, Lauren Fagan & Alison Rose (sopranos), Claire Barnett-Jones, Marta Fontanals-Simmons, Anna Harvey & Katie Stevenson (mezzo-sopranos), Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, Oliver Johnston, Joshua Owen Mills & James Way (tenors) and Bragi Jónsson, Benjamin Lewis, James Newby & Bradley Travis (baritones/basses); BBC Proms Youth Ensemble; BBC Singers; BBC Symphony Chorus & Orchestra/Sakari Oramo (conductor). Royal Albert Hall, London, 10.9.2016. (CC)
(c) Chris Christodoulou