With a highly committed Stabat Mater, the Three Choirs Festival does Stanford proud

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Three Choirs Festival [1] – Grace-Evangeline Mason, Holst, Stanford: Rebecca Hardwick (soprano), Marta Fontanals-Simmons (mezzo-soprano), Nicky Spence (tenor), Themba Mvula (baritone), Three Choirs Festival Chorus, Worcester Cathedral Choristers, Philharmonia Orchestra / Samuel Hudson (conductor) Worcester Cathedral, 27.7.2024. (JQ)

Stanford’s Stabat Mater at the Three Choirs Festival © James O’Driscoll

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A Verdi Requiem at the BBC Proms potent with operatic theatricality

United KingdomUnited Kingdom PROM 6 – Verdi, Requiem: Latonia Moore (soprano), Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano), SeokJong Baek (tenor), Solomon Howard (bass), Crouch End Festival Chorus (chorus master: David Temple), BBC National Chorus of Wales (chorus master: Adrian Partington), BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Ryan Bancroft (conductor). Recorded live (directed by Alison Bartrop) at the Royal Albert Hall, London, 23.7.2024. (JPr)

Latonia Moore © BBC/Chris Christodoulou

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Tempi and time interact on Salzburg’s extraordinary musical journey in Grisey’s Le Noir de l’Étoile

AustriaAustria Salzburg Festival 2024 [2] – Grisey, Le Noir de l’Étoile: Motus Percussion (Christoph Sietzen, Leonhard Schmidinger, Nico Gerstmayer, Akisato Takeo, Miguel Llorente Gil, Lorenzo Manquillet). Kollegienkirche, Salzburg, 24.7.2024. (MB)

Motus Percussion’s Le Noir de l’Étoile © SF/Marco Borrelli

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Olga Kern and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra triumph at Boulder’s Chautauqua Auditorium

United StatesUnited States Colorado Music Festival 2024 [1] Various: Olga Kern (piano), Kabin Thomas (narrator), Colorado Festival Orchestra / Gemma New (director). Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Colorado, 19.7.2024. (DS)

Gemma New conducts pianist Olga Kern and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra © Geremy Kornreich

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A quartet of conductors celebrate Beethoven at Verbier

SwitzerlandSwitzerland Verbier Festival 2024 – Beethoven: Leonidas Kavakos (violin), Klaus Mäkelä (cello), Lahav Shani (piano), Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (conductor). Salle des Combins, Verbier, Switzerland, 23.7.2024. (LV)

Sir Simon Rattle conducting Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ Symphony © Nicolas Brodard

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