Classical music

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Let There Be Light review – MacMillan’s monumental work needs a monumental space
The centrepiece of a thoughtfully curated programme examining light and loss, James MacMillan conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the UK premiere of his 2020 choral work Fiat Lux

Erica Jeal

18, Mar, 2024 @1:43 PM

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The week in classical: Death in Venice; Giant; Angela Hewitt review – five-star Britten and more
Britten’s yearning swansong blazes and beguiles in Welsh National Opera’s new production. Elsewhere, the sad tale of ‘Irish Giant’ Charles Byrne, and an enterprising orchestra for all

Fiona Maddocks

16, Mar, 2024 @1:00 PM

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Classical home listening: Michael Spyres and Les Talens Lyriques: In the Shadows; Nicola LeFanu: The Path Above the Dunes
The tenor teams up with Christophe Rousset and co to explore the operas that influenced Wagner, while Gemini excel in LeFanu’s chamber music

Fiona Maddocks

16, Mar, 2024 @12:00 PM

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SCO/Kuusisto review – Grime and Clyne premieres plus Dolphin Boy and folk fiddle make for an inspiring evening
Pekka Kuusisto’s residency with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra ended with an eclectic and joyful concert that included new works by Anna Clyne and Helen Grime and an interval DJ set

Keith Bruce

15, Mar, 2024 @1:57 PM

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Macbeth review – powerful Verdi staging marks the end for a great company
Arts Council of Wales’s decision to axe its funding for Mid Wales Opera means this effective and cogent production is likely their last on this scale

Rian Evans

15, Mar, 2024 @1:29 PM

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ROH Madama Butterfly review – Grigorian inhabits the part to a degree one does not often experience
Asmik Grigorian is the standout attraction in this revival of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s 2003 uncluttered production

Martin Kettle

15, Mar, 2024 @12:12 PM

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The Seven Deadly Sins review – LPO play Brecht and Weill with bite and swing
Danielle de Niese took on twinned roles of dancer and singer Anna with great style, the evening introduced by João Barradas’s fiery accordion

Erica Jeal

15, Mar, 2024 @12:11 PM

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Strauss: Josephs Legende album review – not top-drawer Strauss but there’s much worth savouring
Four harps, a wind machine and a heckelphone feature on this little known score for an abandoned Nijinsky ballet.

Erica Jeal

14, Mar, 2024 @4:30 PM

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Dorothy Howell: Orchestral Works album review – buoyant performances show off Howell’s quicksilver gifts
A Keats-inspired tone poem and an evocative still unstaged ballet are among the works finally getting their due in the BBC Concert Orchestra’s new recording

Erica Jeal

14, Mar, 2024 @3:47 PM

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Barber of Seville review – high energy, whimsy and Stetsons as Rossini goes to the wild west
With a dash of Monty Python and a sprinkling of Carry On, Charles Court Opera’s slimmed-down staging of the comic opera is pacy and entertaining

Flora Willson

14, Mar, 2024 @2:53 PM

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Jenůfa review – Alden’s harrowing staging remains a formidable piece of theatre
Jennifer Davis in the title role and Susan Bullock as Kostelnička are both outstanding in Janáček’s unremittingly intense tale relocated to a drab industrial town in post-communist Europe

Tim Ashley

14, Mar, 2024 @1:02 PM

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Nash Ensemble: Terezín-Theresienstadt review – incredibly moving survey of composers lost to the Holocaust
Works by Hans Krása, Viktor Ullmann, Pavel Haas and Gideon Klein were wonderfully performed, while Konstantin Krimmel gave a heart-rending account of of songs written in the ghetto-camp – an essential and unforgettable experience

Tim Ashley

10, Mar, 2024 @3:40 PM

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