In Banff, a Schubert challenge produces three finalists
04/09/2019
BISQC 2019 [3] – various composers: Agate, Callisto, Eliot, Elmire, Marmen, Omer, Ruisi, Vera, Viano, and Ulysses String Quartets. Eric Harvie Theatre, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Banff, Canada. 31.8.2019. (LV)
The Eliot Quartett in the Schubertplus round at Banff (c) Don Lee
Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s outstanding Messiaen opens Musikfest Berlin
02/09/2019
Musikfest Berlin [1] – Messiaen: Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano). Philharmonie, Berlin, 30.8.2019. (MB)
Pierre-Laurent Aimard (c) Marco Borggreve
The Shanghai Symphony makes an auspicious Proms debut
02/09/2019
BBC PROM 57 – Qigang Chen, Mozart, Rachmaninov: Eric Lu (piano); Shanghai Symphony Orchestra / Long Yu (conductor). Royal Albert Hall, London, 1.9.2019. (CC)
Long Yu conducts the Shanghai SO (c) Chris Christodoulou
Excellent programming from Gergiev, Kavakos and the Mariinsky at Lucerne Festival
01/09/2019
Lucerne Festival [6] – Debussy, Sibelius, Chausson, Ravel, Shostakovich: Leonidas Kavakos (violin), Mariinsky Orchestra / Valery Gergiev (conductor), Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern (KKL), Lucerne, 31.8.2019. (JR)
Valery Gergiev (c) Manuel Jans/Lucerne Festival
At Banff, the temperature rises with a striking quartet from Matthew Whittall
01/09/2019
BISQC 2019 [2] – Brahms, Debussy, Dvořák, Mendelssohn, Ravel, and Matthew Whittall: Agate, Callisto, Eliot, Elmire, Marmen, Omer, Ruisi, Vera, Viano, and Ulysses String Quartets. Eric Harvie Theatre, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Banff, Canada. 28-30.8.2019. (LV)
The Marmen Quartet at Banff (c) Don Lee
Sunshine Reigns in the Opening Round at Banff International String Quartet Competition
29/08/2019
BISQC 2019 [1] – Bartók, Haydn, Ligeti, and Szymanowski: Agate, Eliot, Elmire, Marmen, Ruisi, Vera, Viano, and Ulysses String Quartets. Eric Harvie Theatre, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Banff, Canada. 26-27.8.2019. (LV)
The ten competing quartets of the 2019 BISQC (c) Don Lee
Outstanding Berg from Kirill Petrenko in Salzburg
28/08/2019
Salzburg Festival [11] – Berg and Beethoven: Marlis Petersen (soprano), Elisabeth Kulman (contralto), Benjamin Bruns (tenor), Kwangchul Youn (bass), Berlin Radio Chorus (chorus director: Gijs Leenaars), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Kirill Petrenko (conductor), Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg, 25.8.2019. (MB)
Kirill Petrenko and the BPO (c) Salzburger Festspiele/Marco Borrelli
Daniel Barenboim’s Way with Mahler Remains Not Completely Convincing
28/08/2019
Salzburg Festival [10] – Mahler: Okka von der Damerau (mezzo-soprano), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Daniel Barenboim (conductor), Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg, 22.8.2019. (MB)
Okka von der Damerau (c) Michael Lie
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