Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
The week in classical: OAE, Bach’s Mass in B minor; Aurora Orchestra – review
A heckler heightened the atmosphere before a precise performance of Bach’s testing mass; and care home residents enjoyed a thrilling rendition of Beethoven’s Fifth in a truly resonant setting
Fiona Maddocks
25, Mar, 2023 @12:30 PM
OAE/Emelyanychev review – Camille Saint-Saëns interpreted with tautness and clarity
Emelyanychev sheds fresh light on the familiar, while superb solos culminate with an extraordinarily moving performance that seems to make time stand still
Tim Ashley
27, Jan, 2023 @12:33 PM
The week in classical: The Dream of Gerontius, Bach’s Mass in B minor and Nathan Laube at the Proms
Jamie Barton and Allan Clayton lead a dream Gerontius in a week of choral epics at the Proms. Elsewhere, deep listening and silence…
Fiona Maddocks
03, Sep, 2022 @11:30 AM
Alcina review – Handel’s enchanting opera glitters with retro glamour
Jane Archibald rises to the challenge as nightclub proprietor Alcina, as this lavish, campy production – with punchy playing by the OAE – transports the action to a 1960s Italian metropolis
Tim Ashley
03, Jul, 2022 @12:02 PM
OAE/Manacorda/Faust review – nimble brilliance and refined care
Isabelle Faust and Antonello Manacorda did their best to make the case for Schumann’s problematic violin concerto, while Manacorda brought something fresh to familiar works
Andrew Clements
17, Feb, 2022 @1:34 PM
The week in classical: Theodora; OAE: Bach, the Universe and Everything – review
It comes with a health warning, but Katie Mitchell’s perceptive, largely cogent staging of this rarely seen work allows Handel’s genius to shine through
Fiona Maddocks
05, Feb, 2022 @12:30 PM
Benedetti/OAE/Cohen review – baroque prom programme brings subdued fun
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment violinists duetted with Nicola Benedetti in lively, playful Vivaldi concertos, which left Handel and Bach sounding a little tame
Erica Jeal
04, Sep, 2020 @12:59 PM
OAE/Fischer review – a new shape for late Mozart
Iván Fischer and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s rethinking of Mozart’s final three symphonies came at the expense of tension and overall coherence
Erica Jeal
10, Feb, 2020 @4:29 PM
The week in classical: Igor Levit; BBC SO/ Saraste; OAE/ Norrington – review
Levit relished every twist and turn of Shostakovich’s marathon 24 Preludes and Fugues. Plus, a gripping start to Beethoven 250
Fiona Maddocks
01, Feb, 2020 @12:00 PM
Prom 40: OAE/Hough review – a riot of orchestral colour
Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth, Stephen Hough played Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No 1 on the monarch’s own piano with fuss-free finesse
Flora Willson
18, Aug, 2019 @4:33 PM
The week in classical: Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel; Bach's St John Passion – review
The drama in Iain Bell’s new opera giving voice to Jack the Ripper’s victims comes largely from its stellar cast. Plus, a spectacular St John Passion
Fiona Maddocks
07, Apr, 2019 @7:00 AM
OAE/Rattle/Sellars review – commitment and focus sharpen Bach's Passion
Peter Sellars’ staging of the St John Passion was magnificently realised by a cast led by Mark Padmore’s Evangelist and Roderick Williams’s Christus
Tim Ashley
03, Apr, 2019 @2:39 PM
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