Newsletter

Opera North’s La rondine proves a balm for our troubles today

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Puccini, La rondine: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Opera North / Kerem Hasan (conductor). Lyric Theatre, The Lowry, Salford Quays, 17.11.2023. (MC)

Laura-Kelly McInroy (Suzy), Kathryn Sharpe (Bianca), Pasquale Orchard (Yvette), Philip Smith (Rambaldo), Sébastien Guèze (Ruggero), Satriya Krisna (Goblin), Ross McInroy (Périchaud) © Tristram Kenton

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Insula’s Sky Burial at the Barbican is a stunning evening, unique, and vitally important

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Gounod, Fauré – Sky Burial: Oliver Barlow (treble), John Brancy (baritone), Amitai Pati (tenor), Mat Collishaw (filmmaker), accentus, Insula Orchestra / Laurence Equilbey (conductor). Barbican Hall, London, 20.11.2023. (CC)

Laurence Equilbey conducts tenor Amitai Pati, accentus, and the Insula Orchestra with Mat Collishaw’s projections to the rear background © Mark Allan

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Breathing forests and village weddings energize the San Francisco Symphony and Esa-Pekka Salonen

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United StatesUnited States Stravinsky, Smith: James McVinnie (organ), Lauren Snouffer (soprano), Kayleigh Decker (mezzo-soprano), Paul Appleby (tenor), David Soar (bass), Hillary Leben (animator), San Francisco Symphony Chorus (director: Jenny Wong). San Francisco Symphony / Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor). Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, 18.11.2023. (HS)

Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony perform Stravinsky’s Les Noces (animation by Hillary Leben) © SFO

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Kennedy’s musicality, knowledge, and skills are to the fore in his Barbican Bach Now! programme

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Bach, Kennedy, Sakamoto – Nigel Kennedy: Bach Now!: Nigel Kennedy (violin, piano, conductor), Nicholas Daniel (oboe), Anna-Liisa Bezrodny (violin), Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. Barbican Hall, London, 14.11.2023. (AK)

Nigel Kennedy (violin) and Nicholas Daniel (oboe) © Alexander Barnes/Apple and Biscuit

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You’ll remember Asmik Grigorian’s singing as Salome long after Dmitri Tcherniakov’s production is forgotten

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GermanyGermany Richard Strauss, Salome: Soloists, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg / Kent Nagano (conductor). Recorded live (directed by Andy Sommer) at the Staatsoper Hamburg on 29.11.2023 and available until 27.4.2024 on ARTE Concert. (JPr)

John Daszak (Herod), Kyle Ketelsen (Jokanaan) and Asmik Grigorian (Salome) © Monika Rittershaus

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