United Kingdom Ives, Beethoven, Rachmaninov: Krystian Zimerman (piano), London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle (conductor), Barbican Hall, London, 30.6.2016 (CS)
This Week’s Review
BBC NOW Marks Battle of the Somme Centenary with Music from that Era
United Kingdom Delius, Butterworth, Jacob, Howells, Roussel, Francis Purcell Warren: Elizabeth Watts (soprano), Mark Stone (baritone), Philip Dukes (viola), BBC National Chorus and Orchestra of Wales cond. Adrian Partington (conductor), Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, 1.7.2016 (PCG)
Kirill Petrenko and a Trio of Contemporary Opera Greats Deliver a Spectacular Tosca
Germany Puccini: Tosca, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper, Kirill Petrenko (conductor), National Theatre, Munich, 1.7.2016 (JMI)
Iain Bell’s New Opera Gives Musical Expression to David Jones’ Epic World War I Poem
United Kingdom Bell, In Parenthesis: (sung in English, Welsh, Latin and medieval Welsh) Soloists; Chorus and Orchestra of Welsh National Opera/Carlo Rizzi (conductor), Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 29.6.2016 (CC)
The Premiere of Ian Venables’ Important, Eloquent New Song Cycle
United Kingdom Venables, Vaughan Williams, Schumann, Gurney, Finzi, Quilter, Britten: Nick Pritchard (tenor); Louise Williams (viola); Benjamin Frith (piano), Perrins Hall, The Royal Grammar School, Worcester, 30.6.2016 (JQ)
Superb Playing and Singing from Opera North in Die Walküre
United Kingdom Wagner, Die Walküre: Soloists, Orchestra of Opera North, Richard Farnes (Conductor), Royal Festival Hall, London, 29.06.16. (RB)
Photo credit: Clive Barda.
Rattle Premieres Maxwell Davies’ Last Work Alongside Large-Scale Berlioz
United Kingdom Davies and Berlioz: Soloists, LSO Discovery Choirs (chorus masters: David Lawrence and Lucy Griffiths), London Symphony Chorus (chorus masters: Simon Halsey and Neil Ferris), Guildhall School Singers, London Symphony Orchestra, Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle (conductor). Barbican Hall, London, 26.6.2016. (MB)
A Widmann Premiere, Inspired by Mahler’s Fifth
United States C.P.E. Bach, Widmann, Brahms: Yefim Bronfman (piano), San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas (conductor), Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco. 23.6.2016. (HS)