Reading Time: 2 minutesNeilsen’s concerto at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall was a masterpiece. The show was made up of three sections: Ruth Gipps’s Song for Orchestra, Nielsen’s Violin Concerto and Borodin’s Symphony No.2.
Reading Time: 2 minutesPaddington in Concert, presented by STUDIOCANAL and Raymond Gubbay Limited, is an enchanting experience that beautifully encapsulates the timeless charm of this beloved tale. As someone who has surprisingly not been enchanted by Paddington's adventures since childhood (as this was my first viewing of the tale), I found this concert to be a delightful celebration of everything that makes the story so enduringly special – even for a 26 years old child!
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe concert at Liverpool’s Philharmonic opens with a rendition of Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade, a lively and almost playful piece of around ten minutes, which is performed with vivacious enthusiasm by the orchestra. This gives way to the eponymous piece of the night’s event: Mieczysław Weinberg’s Cello Concerto in C minor op.43, in which visiting musician Sheku Kanneh-Mason takes centre stage as lead cello. As both the orchestra and Kanneh-Mason launch into the strident introductory motif that will become the piece’s throughline, the first and most obvious issue with this performance becomes apparent.
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe organ that stands within the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre is turning 70-years-old this year. The new Resident Artist James McVinnie rang in this illustrious occasion with two performances in a day, both of which offered an old and a new perspective on this important instrument.
Reading Time: 2 minutesOpera North's double bill of Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni and Aleko by Sergei Rachmaninoff is a captivating exploration of intertwined desires, dramatic contrasts, and thematic reflections. The juxtaposition of these two operas creates a rich tapestry of emotion and narrative, each enhancing the other's impact.
Reading Time: 3 minutesIf there is one way to watch this record breaking film, that won eleven Oscars including Best Picture and multiple production design awards, it’s like this.
Reading Time: 2 minutesConducted by Roberto González-Monjas, a Guildhall alumnus himself, this performance of Respighi’s ‘Roman Trilogy’ by the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra in the Barbican Hall was an unmitigated delight.
Written between 1915 and 1928, these three orchestral pieces are Respighi’s most celebrated works. Respighi was trained at a young age to play the violin by his father - perhaps this is one of the reasons why González-Monjas, himself an extraordinary violinist, seems to understand these orchestral pieces so well.
Reading Time: 3 minutesSchubert's Winterreise is a deep and profound exploration of loneliness, melancholy and self-journey through an incredible chemistry between male voice, piano and the poignant verses by Wilhelm Müller, which was written just one year prior to Schubert’s untimely demise at 31. German conductor Hans Zender orchestrated this masterpiece in 1993 by weaving in a myriad of modern soundscapes and instrumental techniques (such as huge array of percussion) that infuses Schubert with a contemporary flavour and psychological depth.
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Pasadena Roof Orchestra, a group that’s been performing since the sixties, transported us to yesteryear and the golden era of swing and jazz music.
Reading Time: 2 minutesA transcendent auditory experience drawing inspiration from poetry and mathematics New Worlds astounds in eight otherworldly sets. The pieces are primarily selected from the works of Missy Mazzoli, featuring one set by Jessie Montgomery. A story-driven composer,…