Christopher Sallon

Last Night of the Proms 2024: an evening of questionable programming and uneven quality

by

United KingdomUnited Kingdom PROM 73 – Last Night of the Proms: Angel Blue (soprano), Sir Stephen Hough (piano), BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, BBC Singers, (Neil Ferris (chorus/choir master) / Sakari Oramo (conductor). Royal Albert Hall, London 14.9.2024. (CSa)

Read more

French themed evening at the Proms and a show-stopping return for the Orchestre de Paris and Klaus Mäkelä

by

United KingdomUnited Kingdom PROM 58 – Debussy, Stravinsky and Berlioz: Jean-Baptiste Doulcet (piano), Orchestre de Paris / Klaus Mäkelä (conductor). Royal Albert Hall, London. 3.9.2024. (CSa)

Pianist Jean-Baptiste Doulcet at the BBC Proms © BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Read more

Proms hero’s welcome and stellar performances from Ólafsson, Berlin Philharmonic and Kirill Petrenko

by

United KingdomUnited Kingdom PROM 55 – R. Schumann, Smetana: Víkingur Ólafsson (piano) Berliner Philharmoniker / Kirill Petrenko (conductor). Royal Albert Hall, London 31.8.2024. (CSa)

Víkingur Ólafsson at the BBC Proms 2024 © BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Read more

Flying the Flag at Tanglewood: Dudamel and his children’s orchestra celebrate Venezuela’s El Sistema

by

United StatesUnited States Tanglewood Festival 2024 [12] – Adams, Estévez, Ginastera, Shostakovich: National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela / Gustavo Dudamel (conductor), Koussevitzky Music Shed, Lenox, 8.8.2024. (CSa)

Gustavo Dudamel conducts the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela at Tanglewood © Hilary Scott/BSO

Read more

Breathing life into Beethoven: a thrilling Triple Concerto and vibrant Fourth Symphony at Tanglewood

by

United StatesUnited States Tanglewood Festival 2024 [10] – Beethoven: Kirill Gerstein (piano), Joshua Bell (violin), Steven Isserlis (cello), Boston Symphony Orchestra / Alan Gilbert (conductor). Koussevitzky Shed, Lenox, 4.8.2024. (CSa)

Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, and Kirill Gerstein perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto at Tanglewood © Hilary Scott

Read more

New Art from Old: the Danish String Quartet present a final gift from Schubert and a wreath from Adès

by

United StatesUnited States Tanglewood Festival 2024 [9] – Various: Danish String Quartet (Frederik Øland, Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen [violins], Asbjørn Nørgaard [viola], Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, Johannes Rostamo [cellos]). Seiji Ozawa Hall, Lenox, 1.8.2024. (CSa)

Danish String Quartet at the Tanglewood Festival 2024 © BSO / Hilary Scott

Read more

Christie’s Tanglewood Fairy Queen has some magic moments but ultimately fails to enchant

by

United StatesUnited States Tanglewood Festival 2024 [5] – Purcell, The Fairy Queen: Soloists, Les Arts Florissants / William Christie (music director). Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood, 18.7.2024. (CSa)

Georgia Burashko sings ‘Ye gentle spirits of the air, appear!’ © Hilary Scott

Read more