Secret rendezvous and Queens in disguise: Pegasus Opera stage Ethel Smyth's Fête galante and Philip Hagemann's The Dark Lady of the Sonnets
Updated: 2025-04-30 07:36:00
: : Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Wednesday , 30 April 2025 Secret rendezvous and Queens in disguise : Pegasus Opera stage Ethel Smyth's Fête galante and Philip Hagemann's The Dark Lady of the Sonnets Labels : preview Ethel Smyth wrote six operas of which the best-known is The Wreckers though it is hardly common currency . But what about the others , after all she wrote three more after The Wreckers The Boatswains Mate gets performed , partly because it is a smaller scale comedy though I have seen few productions using Smyth's full orchestration . nbsp Fête galante and Entente Cordiale both from the 1920s remain simply names on . lists Fête galante was recorded by Odaline de la Martinez and
: : , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Wednesday , 30 April 2025 Glasshouse in Gateshead announces its 2025 2026 season : from Haydn Mozart to Kurtág , Gubaidulina Berio Labels : preview Sage Gateshead Royal Northern Sinfonia at the Glasshouse The Glasshouse International Centre for Music has announced its 2025 26 season . The Royal Northern Sinfonia form a large component of the season , the orchestra celebrating both Dinis Sousa's continuation as artistic leader until 2030 and violinist Maria Włoszczowska's role as artistic . partner Sousa's concerts with the Royal Northern Sinfonia include working with soprano Louise Alder in Mozart , baritone Bryn Terfel in Schubert orchestrated songs and
: : Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Wednesday , 30 April 2025 Something of a revelation : forgotten songs by Robert Gund William Grosz receive ardent championship from Christian Immler Helmut Deutsch Labels : cd review Be Still My Heart : songs by Robert Gund and William Grosz Christian Immler , Helmut Deutsch Alpha Classics Reviewed 29 April 2025 Two Vienna-based late-Romantic composers whose songs have disappeared from sight on a disc where the ardent championship of Christian Immler and Helmut Deutsch ensure that we recognise the quality and imagination present . Highly recommended and something of a revelation As pianist Helmut Deutsch and bass-baritone Christian Immler write in the
: , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Tuesday , 29 April 2025 New song cycles inspired by 10th-century Persian poetry , the Magdalene Laundries Baba Yaga as storytelling in song takes centre stage at this year's Oxford International Song Festival Labels : Oxford Lieder Festival preview Konstantin Krimmel Photo : Guido Werner This year's Oxford International Song Festival takes as its theme Stories in Song and from 10 to 25 October 2025, artistic director Sholto Kynoch and his team are presenting 67 events where audiences can explore stories in many different forms , from fairytales and ballads to the human and artistic relationships behind the songs , to the developing stories of national song
: : Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Tuesday , 29 April 2025 A genre finding its way : Maurice Greene's Jephtha reveals different English oratorio before Handel consolidate the form Labels : cd review Maurice Greene : Jephtha Andrew Staples , Mary Bevan , Michael Mofidian , Jeremy Budd , Early Opera Company , Christian Curnyn CHANDOS Reviewed 28 April 2025 Written well before Handel really welded oratorio in his own form of music drama , Maurice Greene's early experiment combines graceful music with a certain static element in the drama but with some lovely moments and engaging touches Maurice Greene is one of those composers who , though central to musical life in early 18th century London , has
: : , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Monday , 28 April 2025 More than novelty value : at Conway Hall , the Zoffany Ensemble explores two substantial 19th century French works for nine instruments Labels : concert review Conway Hall Louise Farrenc in 1835 Michael Haydn : Divertimento in G Louise Farrenc : Nonet in E flat George Onslow : Nonet in A minor Zoffany Ensemble Manon Derome , violin , Rachel Roberts , viola , Anthony Pleeth , cello , Lynda Houghton , bass , Karen Jones , flute , Olivier Stankiewicz , oboe , Anthony Pike , clarinet , Andrea de Flammineis , bassoon , Roger Montgomery , horn Conway Hall Sunday Concerts Reviewed 27 April 2025 Two French works for nine players , both from the
: , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Monday , 28 April 2025 Sir Nicholas Kenyon to give the inaugural Purcell Lecture at Stationers Hall presented by the Musicians' Company , and the Stationers and Newspapermakers' Company Labels : preview Stationers Hall In 1683, a group of musicians and music lovers got together as the Musical Society of London and organised a St Cecilia's Day concert 22 November for which Henry Purcell wrote Welcome to all the Pleasures In 1692 he wrote his ode Hail Bright Cecilia for the same occasion , when it was premiered at the Stationers Hall which was rebuilt in 1670 following the Fire of London In celebration of this , the Musicians' Company , and the Stationers and
: : , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Monday , 28 April 2025 Immersive Beethoven at Conway Hall : all the major chamber works with piano from Daniel Tong , Sara Trickey and Robin Michael Labels : Conway Hall preview 1803 portrait of Beethoven by Christian Horneman This weekend , 3 and 4 May 2025, Conway hall is having an immersive event giving us the opportunity to hear hear all of Beethoven’s major chamber works with piano violin sonatas , cello sonatas and piano trios across six concerts . The performers are pianist Daniel Tong pianist in the London Bridge Trio and director of the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival violinist Sara Trickey member of the Rosetti Ensemble and cellist Robin Michael
: : Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Saturday , 26 April 2025 Creating a fun day out as well as broadening the mind : Jack Bazalgette on his first Cheltenham Music Festival as artistic director Labels : Cheltenham preview Jack Bazalgette Photo : Ehimetalor Unuabona Jack Bazalgette is perhaps best known as the co-founder and director of through the noise which since 2020 has programmed more than 130 classical music concerts in non-traditional venues using an innovative crowd-funding model to widen audience appeal see my review of their noisenight at the 2024 Leeds Lieder Festival Last year , Jack was appointed as artistic director of the Cheltenham Music Festival and the 2025 festival , which runs.jpg)
: , : Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Friday , 25 April 2025 From RVW's Sancta Civitas Bliss' The Beatitudes to Reich's The Desert Music Birtwistle's Earth Dances , plus 19 premieres : the BBC Proms 2025 Labels : BBC preview Proms This years BBC Proms are the first under the stewardship of Sam Jackson , controller of BBC Radio 3 who took over the Proms this year from David Pickard . Running from 18 July to 13 September , the festival features 72 Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and 14 at venues around the . UK The First Night opens with the Birthday Fanfare for Sir Henry Wood by Sir Arthur Bliss , who died fifty years ago this year . Sakari Oramo conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in an evening
: , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Wednesday , 23 April 2025 Samling Academy Opera's performances of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at The Fire Station , Sunderland Labels : preview Samling Singers from the North East are joined by Dunedin Consort on period instruments and their director John Butt for Samling Academy Opera's performances of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at The Fire Station , Sunderland on 17 and 19 July 2025. The opera will be directed by Miranda Wright who was on the Samling Artist Programme in 1999 and teaches at the Royal College of Music , Newcastle University and Durham . University Dido is sung by Tia Radix-Callixte from Gateshead who takes part in Roderick Williams' public
: : , , , , , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Wednesday , 23 April 2025 Fierce virtuosity and sheer delight : oboist Olivier Stankiewicz , soprano Lucy Crowe , violinist Maria Włoszczowska friends in a captivating evening of Bach , Zelenka , Handel , Vivaldi Labels : concert review Wigmore Hall Bach : Liebster Jesu , mein Verlangen Olivier Stankiewicz , Lucy Crowe , ensemble led by Maria Włoszczowska Wigmore Hall taken from live stream Bach : arias from Liebster Jesu , mein Verlangen and Weichet nur , betrübte Schatten Concerto in G minor Double Concerto in C minor , Zelenka Sonata No . 3 Vivaldi : Oboe Concerto in F Handel : arias from Amadigi di Gaula Aci , Galatea e Polifemo and Agrippina
: : Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Tuesday , 22 April 2025 11 days in July : Lichfield Festival 2025 Labels : preview BBC National Orchestra of Wales , cellist Senja Rummukainan conductor Ryan Bancroft at 2024 Lichfield Festival Photo : Tyler Whiting For 11 days in July , the Lichfield Festival will be bringing music , performance , comedy and dance to venues across the city . Running from 8 to 20 July 2025, the festival features a selection of classical music highlights . Ryan Bancroft conducts the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Beethoven's Eroica Symphony and Bruch's Scottish Fantasy with BBC New Generation Artist , violinist Hana Chang in Lichfield Cathedral . The festival closes with a
: : Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Sunday , 20 April 2025 Dramatic engagement : Francesco Corti directs Bach's St John Passion with the English Concert at Wigmore Hall on Good Friday Labels : concert review English Concert Wigmore Hall Autograph of the first page of the Johannespassion by Johann Sebastian . Bach Bach : St John Passion 1739 version Patrick Grahl , Rachel Redmond , Jess Dandy , Ashley Riches , Morgan Pearse , the English Concert , Francesco Corti Wigmore Hall Reviewed 18 April 2025, Good Friday A profoundly satisfying account with dramatic urgency complemented by intimacy and tenderness in a performance of the Passion that brought a sense of drama and sophisticated music making
: : Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Saturday , 19 April 2025 Searching for possibilities : composer Noah Max on his four string quartets recently recorded by the Tippett Quartet on Toccata Classics Labels : interview Noah Max Photo : Richard Ecclestone Last month , Toccata Classics released a disc of the four string quartets by the young British composer Noah Max see details recorded by the Tippett Quartet John Mills , Jeremy Isaac , Lydia Lowndes-Northcott , Bozidar Vukotic This group premiered Noah's String Quartet No . 2 at the Thaxted Festival in 2023, where Noah was composer in residence see my review This is the second disc of Noah's music on Toccata , the first Songs of Loneliness being a
: : , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Friday , 18 April 2025 Youthful impulse and power : Mozart's Requiem from National Youth Choir , Sinfonia Smith Square and Nicholas Chalmers Labels : concert review nyc SJSS The first page of Mozart's autograph score of the Requiem Mozart : Symphony No . 35 Requiem , Bruckner , Rheinberger Hannah Dienes-Williams , Bethany Horak-Hallett , Hugo Brady , Peter Edge , National Youth Choir 18-25 Years Sinfonia Smith Square , Nicholas Chalmers Smith Square Hall Reviewed 17 April 2025 Vigour , flexibility and power with a lovely sense of impulse as the young singers of the National Youth Choir come together with the young emerging musicians of Sinfonia Smith Square
: : , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Friday , 18 April 2025 Looking at these modern classics anew : Britten's Canticles at the Barbican with James Way , Natalie Burch friends Labels : Barbican concert review Natalie Burch , James Way and Annemarie Federle at St Mary's Parish Church , Haddington where their recording of Britten's Canticles was made Photo : Will Coates-Gibson Foxbrush Britten : Five Canticles Errollyn Wallen My Lazy Goodheart Schubert : Auf dem Strom Des Fischers Liebesgluck Lotte Betts-Dean , James Way , Ross Ramgobin , Natalie Burch , Alis Huws , Annemarie Federle Milton Court Concert Hall Reviewed 16 April 2025 Britten's complete canticles alongside Schubert and Errollyn Wallen
: . Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Wednesday , 16 April 2025 Cheltenham Music Festival's highly regarded Composer Academy is returning for 2025, the festival's 80th birthday year . Labels : music education music news Daniel Kidane After being placed on hiatus in 2023 owing to funding issues , Cheltenham Music Festival's highly regarded Composer Academy is returning for 2025, the festival's 80th birthday year . nbsp The talent development programme for early-career composers will take place over an intensive five-day course at Syde Manor in Gloucestershire , alongside the Festival itself . Under the supervision of award-winning alumnus of the Academy , Daniel Kidane , composers will participate
: , : , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Wednesday , 16 April 2025 This production , will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come : Massenet's Werther in Paris with Marina Viotti , Benjamin Bernheim Marc Leroy-Calatayud conducting Les Siècles Labels : guest review opera review Paris Massenet : Werther Marina Viotti , Benjamin Bernheim Théâtre des Champs Elysées Photo : Vincent Pontet Massenet : Werther Marina Viotti , Benjamin Bernheim , Sandra Hamaoui , Jean-Sébastien , director : Christof Loy Silvia Aurea De Stefano , Les Siècles , conductor : Marc Leroy-Calatayud Théâtre des Champs Elysées , Paris Reviewed by Andreas Rey From Paris , our correspondent Andreas Rey feels that it is a long
: , Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Tuesday , 15 April 2025 A new bandoneon concerto amidst the musical delights of Christian Blackshaw's festival , Hellensmusic in an historic Herefordshire village Labels : preview Hellens Manor , Much Marcle , Herefordshire Hellensmusic is a music festival that takes place every May at Hellens Manor St Bartholomew’s Church , and The Walwyn Arms in the historic Herefordshire village of Much Marcle the name comes from the Anglo Saxon word for field Founded by pianist Christian Blackshaw and Adam Munthe chair of the family trust that runs Hellens Manor the festival returns this year for its 12th edition from 8 to 13 May 2025 featuring a world premiere for
: Pages Robert's Link Tree About Us Contact Us Twitter : RobertHugill Live reviews archive CD reviews archive Interviews archive Tuesday , 15 April 2025 Henning Kraggerud announced as the Irish Chamber Orchestra's new artistic partner Labels : Ireland music news Norwegian violinist and composer Henning Kraggerud is joining the Irish Chamber Orchestra as its new artistic partner from August 2025. Kraggerud joined the orchestra this month for concerts in Ireland presenting Between the Seasons Vivaldi's The Four Seasons alongside three of Kraggerud's own works . This will be Kraggerud's third tour with the orchestra , in 2022 he joined them for a programme highlighting music from Kraggerud's native Norway and then last year they performed Kraggerud's orchestration of Bach's Goldberg