New choreographies: Marcelino Sambé and Kristen McNally lift The Royal Ballet’s Spring Draft Works out of the routine

United KingdomUnited Kingdom The Royal Ballet’s Spring Draft Works: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Sergey Levitin (violin), Tim Hugh (cello), Robert Clark, Michael Pansters and Kate Shipway (piano). Performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and streamed from 14.5.2021. (JPr)

Marcelino Sambé’s ‘Othello’s Limbo’

Read more

Beatrice Rana and a Fabbrini piano in a room in Rome full of frescoes

ItalyItaly Bach, Debussy, Chopin: Beatrice Rana (piano), recorded exclusively for Cal Performances at Oratorio del Gonfalone, Rome, 6-7.4.2021. First streamed 13.5.2021, and available on demand through 12.6.2021. (HS)

Beatrice Rana for Cal Performances in Rome

Read more

Under Riccardo Chailly’s baton there was an extraordinary feat of music-making at La Scala’s public reopening

ItalyItaly Various: Lise Davidsen (soprano), Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala / Riccardo Chailly (conductor) Livestreamed (directed by Daniela Vismara) by Raicultura on RaiPlay from La Scala, Milan, 10.5.2021. (JPr)

Lise Davidsen (soprano), La Scala Orchestra & Riccardo Chailly (conductor)

Read more

Magdalena Kožená excels in LSO’s emotionally draining exploration of Mahler’s world-weariness and the eternal

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Mahler: Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Staples (tenor), London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Rhodri Huw) from the Barbican Hall, London, 9.5.2021. (JPr)

Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano), LSO & Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)
(c) Barbican/Mark Allan

Read more

The Met’s Wagnerians Live in Concert is redeemed by some splendiferous duets

GermanyGermany Wagnerians in Concert: Christine Goerke, Elza van den Heever (sopranos), Andreas Schager (tenor), Michael Volle (baritone), Craig Terry (piano). Livestreamed (directed by Gary Halvorson) from Hessisches Staatstheater, Wiesbaden, Germany, 8.5.2021. (JPr)

Christine Goerke (soprano) and Craig Terry (piano)

Read more

Bang on a Can video revives evocative ‘John Henry’ oratorio

United StatesUnited States Julia Wolfe, Steel Hammer: Bang on a Can All-Stars / David Bloom (music director), soundtrack recorded at the Bunker Studio, Brooklyn, and David’s Studio, New York, for video made exclusively for Cal Performances, Berkeley. Streamed first on 6.5.2021, and available on demand through 4.8.2021. (HS)

Singers Molly Netter, Rebecca Hargrove and Sonya Headlam

Read more

Pairing style and substance in Cleveland with Britten and Ravel

United StatesUnited States In Focus / Episode Ten, Style & Craft: Frank Rosenwein (oboe), Carolyn Gadiel Warner (piano), Strings of the Cleveland Orchestra / Vinay Parameswaran (conductor). Previously recorded at Severance Hall, Cleveland (9.3 and 8-9.4.2021) and reviewed as a video stream. (MSJ)

Vinay Parameswaran and strings of the Cleveland Orchestra
© Roger Mastroianni

Read more