Jim Pritchard

The exceptional Yuja Wang is a revelation at the BBC Proms both on the stage and off it

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Prom 27 – Jimmy López Bellido, Rachmaninov, Walton: Yuja Wang (piano), Thomas Hampson (baritone), BBC Symphony Chorus (chorus director: Neil Ferris) and Orchestra / Klaus Mäkelä (conductor). Recorded (directed by John Williams) at the Royal Albert Hall, London, 4.8.2023 and shown on BBC Four. (JPr)

Belshazzar’s Feast at the BBC Proms 2023 © BBC/Chris Christodoulou

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Verdi’s Macbeth proves infertile ground for Krzysztof Warlikowski at the Salzburg Festival

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AustriaAustria Salzburg Festival 2023 [2] – Verdi, Macbeth: Soloists, Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus, Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy of the Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Philippe Jordan (conductor). Performance of 29.7.2023 (directed by Henning Kasten) and available until 27.10.2023 on ARTE Concert. (JPr)

Krzysztof Warlikowski’s Macbeth Act II, Scene 3 © Bernd Uhlig

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Salzburg’s deeply affecting Berg and tranquil, nostalgic Mahler from Nelsons and the Vienna Philharmonic

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AustriaAustria Salzburg Festival 2023 [1] – Berg and Mahler: Augustin Hadelich (violin), Christiane Karg (soprano), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Andris Nelsons (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Dick Kuijs) on STAGE+ from the Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg, 6.8.2023. (JPr)

Andris Nelsons conducts Berg and Mahler at the Salzburg Festival 2023 © Marco Borelli

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Garanča, Zeppenfeld and Heras-Casado make Bayreuth’s new Parsifal memorable even in 2D

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GermanyGermany Bayreuth Festival 2023 [1] – Wagner, Parsifal: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival / Pablo Heras-Casado. Recorded (directed by Michael Beyer) at the Bayreuther Festspielhaus, Germany, 25.7.2023. (JPr)

Bayreuth Festival 2023 – standing: Georg Zeppenfeld (Gurnemanz) and Elīna Garanča (Kundry) © Enrico Nawrath

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A kaleidoscope of music at the BBC Proms from Elena Urioste and Tadaaki Otaka’s BBC NOW

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Prom 7 – Rachmaninoff, Coleridge-Taylor, Beethoven: Elena Urioste (violin), BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Tadaaki Otaka (conductor). Recorded (directed by Seren Irvine) for BBC TV on 19.7.2023. (JPr)

Tadaaki Otaka conducts the BBC NOW © BBC/Andy Paradise

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BBC Proms 2023 begin with thoughts of Ukrainian resistance undermined by an odd choice of music

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Prom 1 – First Night of the Proms: Lesley Manville (actor), Paul Lewis (piano), BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra / Dalia Stasevska (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by John Williams) from the Royal Albert Hall, London, 14.7.2023. (JPr)

Dalia Stasevska conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra © BBC/Chris Christodoulou

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