Jim Pritchard

Rick Wakeman revisits classic King Henry VIII and King Arthur albums at a triumphant Palladium concert

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom The Return of the Caped Crusader – Rick Wakeman Live at the London Palladium: Rick Wakeman (keyboards), Hayley Sanderson (vocals), English Rock Ensemble (Dave Colquhoun [guitar and backing vocals], Adam Falkner [drums], Lee Pomeroy [bass and backing vocals], Adam Wakeman [keyboards, guitar, backing vocals], The English Chamber Choir (conductor: Guy Protheroe). London Palladium, 22.2.2023. (JPr)

The Return of the Caped Crusader – Rick Wakeman Live at the London Palladium © Lee Wilkinson

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The Royal Opera’s Barber of Seville revival is full of musical joie de vivre

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Rossini, The Barber of Seville: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Rafael Payare (conductor). Broadcast (directed for the screen by Peter Jones) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 15.2.2023. (JPr)

Andrzej Filończyk (Figaro) and Aigul Akhmetshina (Rosina) © Bill Cooper

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Andris Nelsons and the Vienna Philharmonic bring total coherence to Mahler’s Seventh Symphony

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AustriaAustria Mahler: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Andris Nelsons (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Christoph Engel) on STAGE+ from the Musikverein, Golden Hall, Vienna, 15.1.2023. (JPr)

Andris Nelsons conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

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Supercharged singing from Sir Antonio Pappano’s outstanding Elektra cast in Rome

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom R. Strauss, Elektra: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Marco Patino) from the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, 18.10.2022 and available on Rai Play. (JPr)

Ausrine Stundyte (Elektra) and Elisabet Strid (Chrysothemis)

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Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra make a first Parsifal a memorable one

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NorwayNorway Wagner, Parsifal (staged concert): Soloists, Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Edvard Grieg Kor, Edvard Grieg Jentekor, Edvard Grieg Guttekor, Collegium Musicums Choir (chorus master: Håkon Matti Skrede) and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Marius Marthinussen Søreide) on Bergenphilive and OperaVision (and available until 21.5.2023) from the Grieg Hall, Bergen, 21.1.2023. (JPr)

Featured: Ricarda Merbeth ( far l, Kundry), Stuart Skelton (front l, Parsifal) and Brindley Sherratt (front r, Gurnemanz)

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Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate for The Royal Ballet provides food for thought

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom The Royal Ballet’s Like Water for Chocolate: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Siân Griffiths (mezzo-soprano), Tomás Barreiro (guitar), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Alondra de la Parra (conductor). Recorded (directed by Ross MacGibbon) at the Royal Opera House, Covent, Garden, 9.6.2022 and shown at Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 19.1.2023. (JPr)

Francesca Hayward (Tita) and Marcelino Sambé (Pedro) © Tristram Kenton

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Netrebko leads a fine cast and an exceptional orchestra breathing life into a venerable Vienna La bohème

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AustriaAustria Puccini, La bohème: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Bertrand de Billy (conductor). Recorded (directed by Jakob Pitzer) at Vienna State Opera on 11.9.2022 and streamed on 14.2.2023. (JPr)

Anna Netrebko (Mimì) © Wiener Staatsoper/Michael Pöhn

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