SINCE 1999 A LIVE REVIEW SITE FOR OPERA, BALLET, CONCERTS, THEATRE , BROADCASTS AND FILMS
The master list of news, features and interviews
Christian Thielemann to succeed Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden
At its meeting today, the Board of Trustees of the Berlin Opera Foundation approved the contract with Christian Thielemann as General Music Director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden from September 1, 2024. Thielemann succeeds Daniel Barenboim, who is an honorary citizen of Berlin.
The 18th International Malcolm Arnold Festival 2023
14 -15 October – Live in Northampton
29 October – Online Day (livestream from around the UK)
For more information CLICK HERE
The German conductor Constantin Trinks talks to Gregor Tassie
The Sofia Opera and Ballet company’s Wagner Festival staged seven operas during July this year; six of which including the Ring cycle were conducted by Constantin Trinks, over just six days! This workload would break many musicians, yet Trinks took it all in his stride despite the often-intensive heatwave which hit Bulgaria this summer – often temperatures were touching 37ºC outside. Despite all of this, he directed outstanding performances achieving the maximum results from his singers, chorus and musicians.
Lammermuir Festival faces future challenge head-on as Creative Scotland turns it down for funding in 2023
Lammermuir Festival has been turned down by Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for funding towards this year’s festival. Over a period of 40 weeks the festival lodged three applications having been strongly encouraged by Creative Scotland officials to re-apply twice. Each application was strongly recommended for funding by the Music Department at Creative Scotland, particularly as a key part of a network of festivals across the country including East Neuk, Paxton, Cumnock Tryst and St Magnus. Each application has been turned down by assessment panels, the last notification being on 22 August, just sixteen days before the 2023 festival opened.
Japan Society’s John Cage’s Japan In 2012, the world celebrated John Cage’s hundredth birthday. ‘World’ is a vague term that risks meaning North America and Europe when used with bravado from a Western musical perspective. But it is no exaggeration to say that John Cage held worldwide notoriety far beyond the New York City of post-World … Read more
Gregor Tassie talks to Sofia Opera’s Iordanka Derilova about her career and her return to performing in Bulgaria
One of the highlights of the recent Sofia Ring cycle was the outstanding performance of the dramatic soprano Iordanka Derilova – both for her superb vocal talents and her complete characterisation as Brünnhilde. I had seen her Brünnhilde before in the Blu-ray recording of the first Sofia Ring in 2013, of which I wrote, ‘Derilova as Brünnhilde displays extraordinary stamina and vocal strength, and acting make her the star of the show.’ I was surprised that I had not heard her before, yet the Kammersängerin – who is the leading soprano in Dessau, has been singing on some of Europe’s finest theatres since 1998.
PABLO CASALS MEMORIAL CONCERT: 5 OCTOBER 2023 7.30pm
(50th Anniversary of the passing of Pablo Casals)
BARCELONA YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / LAURA PERIBAÑEZ ARTERO (cello) / CARLOS CHECA (conductor)
Programme:
Casals – Sardana ‘Sant Martí del Canigó’
Granados – Goyescas – Intermezzo
Bruch – Kol Nidrei
Brahms – Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op.68
Gregor Tassie talks to Sofia Opera’s Daniel Ostretsov about his career and opera in Bulgaria
My first acquaintance with the singers of the Sofia Opera was watching films of the first Ring cycle from 10 years ago, and apart from the innovative and often sensational staging by Plamen Kartaloff, one of the singers that I noticed was in Das Rheingold. ‘Daniel Ostretsov’s Loge is brilliant in voice and acting with a suitably apt costume.’ I was recently fortunate to meet up with Daniel between his Ring performances and The Flying Dutchman, the concluding opera of the 2023 Sofia Wagner Festival.