Austria St Florianer Brucknertage – Bruckner: Altomonte Orchestra / Rémy Ballot (conductor). St Florian Monastery, Austria, 23 & 24.8.2024. (KW)
200 years since his birth, Bruckner’s brink-of-death symphony at the St Florian Brucknertage
Festival 2024
Confusing mix of styles in Maxim Emelyanchev’s approach to Mozart in Salzburg
Austria Salzburg Festival 2024 [9] – Mozart: Isabelle Unterer (oboe), Bernhard Mitmesser (clarinet), Álvaro Canales Albert (bassoon), Paul Pitzek (horn), Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra / Maxim Emelyanchev (fortepiano / conductor). Grosser Saal, Salzburg, 25.8.2024. (MB)
Excellent cast let down by lifeless conducting and a confusing Salzburg production of Les contes d’Hoffmann
Austria Salzburg Festival 2024 [8] – Offenbach, Les contes d’Hoffmann: Soloists, Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Marc Minkowski (conductor). Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg, 24.8.2024. (MB)
Excellent Clandeboye recital of Schubert and Prokofiev by Barry Douglas
United Kingdom Clandeboye Festival 2024 [3] – Schubert, Prokofiev: Barry Douglas (piano). Clandeboye Estate, Northern Ireland, 22.8.2024. (RB)
Much to enjoy in performances of Brahms and Poulenc at the Clandeboye Festival
United Kingdom Clandeboye Festival 2024 [2] – Brahms, Poulenc: Barry Douglas (piano), Michel Lithiec (clarinet), Michael d’Arcy (violin), Lidia Jewloszewicz-Clarke (violin), Ed Creedon (viola), David Kenny (viola), Arto Noras (cello), Killian White (cello). Clandeboye Estate, Northern Ireland, 21.8.2024. (RB)
Disappointing Strauss from Grigorian, Dudamel and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Austria Salzburg Festival 2024 [7] – R. Strauss: Asmik Grigorian (soprano), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel (conductor). Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg, 24.8.2024 (MB)
Rossini’s Petite Messe solennelle in Edinburgh was given a good, if anonymous, performance
United Kingdom Edinburgh International Festival 2024 [15] – Rossini’s Petite Messe solennelle: Catriona Hewitson, Holly Teague, Holly Brown (sopranos), Georgia Mae Ellis, Kelsey Lauritano, Hannah Bennett (altos), Liam McNally, Euan McDonald, Ferdinand Keller (tenors), Smelo Mahlangu, Jonathan Eyers, George Robarts (basses), James Baillieu and Mark Austin (pianos), Sofia Ros González (accordion). Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, 24.8.2024. (SRT)
Riccardo Chailly’s Lucerne Mahler 7 is one of the very best
Switzerland Lucerne Summer Festival 2024 – Mahler’s Seventh Symphony: Lucerne Festival Orchestra / Riccardo Chailly (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Ute Feudel) from the Konzertsaal des KKL Luzern, 16.8.2024 and available on ARTE Concert until 19.8.2025. (JPr)
