United Kingdom Vivaldi, Bajazet: Soloists, Irish Baroque Orchestra / Peter Whelan (director). Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 7.2.2021. (CC)
Vivaldi at Covent Garden for the first time: Bajazet is gripping from first to last acts
Colin Clarke
English National Opera’s expertly revived, strongly sung and fluidly conducted La bohème
United Kingdom Puccini, La bohème: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera / Ben Glassberg (conductor). London Coliseum, 3.2.2022. (CC)
The Mozartists look back at 1772 in their fabulous Cadogan Hall performance
United Kingdom 1772 – A Retrospective (MOZART 250): Jessica Cale, Chiara Skerath (sopranos), The Mozartists / Ian Page (conductor). Cadogan Hall, London, 27.1.2022. (CC)
It’s only January but OAE’s triumphant Aci, Galatea e Polifemo might be one of the events of the year
United Kingdom Handel, Demons in the Bath: Aci, Galatea e Polifemo: Zoë Brookshaw (soprano, Aci); Bethany Horak-Hallett (mezzo-soprano, Galatea); Trevor Bowes (bass, Polifemo); Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Steven Devine (director, harpsichord). Cadogan Hall, London, 23.1.2022. (CC)
Pappano leads Covent Garden’s Le nozze di Figaro and it is a visceral reminder of Mozart’s genius
United Kingdom Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor/fortepiano continuo). Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 9.1.2022. (CC)
Despite Sibelius and Bartók, it is for Unsuk Chin that the LSO concert will linger in the memory
United Kingdom Chin, Sibelius, Bartók: Leonidas Kavakos (violin), London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (conductor). Barbican Hall, London, 7.1.2022. (CC)
Elisabeth Leonskaja at Wigmore Hall proves a fine way to begin concertgoing in 2022
United Kingdom Mozart, Schoenberg, Brahms: Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano). Wigmore Hall, 4.1.2022. (CC)
VOCES8’s Messiah LIVE from London offered a beacon of hope in frustratingly uncertain times
United Kingdom LIVE from London Christmas 2021 – Handel’s Messiah, HWV 56: Mary Bevan (soprano), Bethany Horak-Hallett (mezzo-soprano); Nicholas Mulroy (tenor), Dingle Yandell (bass), The VOCES8 Foundation Choir, VOCES8, VOCES8 Baroque Orchestra / Barnaby Smith (conductor). Recorded at St Jude-on-the-Hill, London, streamed on 18.12.2021. (CC)
