SINCE 1999 A LIVE REVIEW SITE FOR OPERA, BALLET, CONCERTS, BROADCASTS, AND THEATRE
United States Various, ‘The Richard Tucker Music Foundation Gala 2023’: Angela Meade, Frederica Lombardi, Ailyn Pérez, Liv Redpath (soprano), Ben Bliss, Stephen Costello (tenor), Quinn Kelsey, Sean Michael Plumb (baritone), Soloman Howard (bass), Bryan Wagorn, Howard Watkins (piano). Carnegie Hall, New York, 29.10.2023. (RP)
France Jerome Robbins: Paris Opera Ballet, Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Paris / Maria Seletskaja (conductor). Palais Garnier, Paris, 25.10.2023. (JO’D)
Switzerland Chopin, Beethoven: Bruce Liu (piano), Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich / Paavo Järvi (conductor). Tonhalle, Zurich, 4.10.2023. (VL)
Germany Debussy and Manoury: Jean-Frédéric Neuburger (piano), Boulez Ensemble / François-Xavier Roth (conductor). Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin, 29.10.2023. (MB)
United Kingdom Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart: Matthew Hunt (clarinet), Chiaroscuro Quartet (Alina Ibragimova & Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux [violins], Emilie Hörnlund [viola], Claire Thirion [cello]). Wigmore Hall, London, 29.10.2023. (CS)
Italian pianist Sandro Russo talks to Robert Beattie
Chetham’s Music School in central Manchester run an International Piano Summer School every year for pianists of varying levels of ability including talented students, teachers and adult amateur pianists. As an enthusiastic amateur pianist, I decided to enrol on the course myself earlier this year. There were many distinguished professional pianists on the course teaching students and giving masterclasses. In the evening a number of the teachers gave concerts in Chetham’s Stoller Hall. It was amazing to hear such a wide and varied range of demanding repertoire being performed to such a high level.
I was struck by one concert, in particular, by the Italian pianist, Sandro Russo. Sandro performed all twelve of Liszt’s Transcendental Études and his performance was deservedly greeted with a standing ovation.
American conductor Gerard Schwarz talks to Geoffrey Newman
The career of conductor Gerard Schwarz stretches over five very productive decades. He currently serves as Music Director of the Palm Beach Symphony, the Mozart Orchestra of New York and the Eastern Music Festival. He also heads a distinguished All-Star Orchestra for educational concerts designed for public television. He is Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Emeritus of the Mostly Mozart Festival and Distinguished Professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he also conducts the university orchestra.
The Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Gergana Rusekova talks to Gregor Tassie
Among the outstanding performances of the 2023 Wagner Festival in Sofia were those of the Brünnhilde in Die Walkure and the Kundry in Parsifal given by the young mezzo-soprano Gergana Rusekova. In my review of Die Walküre, I wrote, ‘Immediately, we are aware of the striking vocal gifts and personality of Gergana Rusekova, ‘Vater! Vater! Sage, was ist dir?’ And a couple of weeks later, in Parsifal, she was even more impressive, ‘The Kundry of Gergana Rusekova was world-class in both singing and characterisation – every word was clear and beautiful at times when revealing her plight and in other scenes of her lustful desire.’