Sergei Babayan, Wigmore hall Hot on the heels of Daniil Trifonov’s triumphant residency at the Barbican came the man responsible for channelling the young Russian’s talent – Sergei Babayan. And ...Read More
The Diary of One Who Disappeared, Linbury Theatre, London Janacek’s unrequited 11-year infatuation with Kamila Stösslova – 37 years younger and happily married – gave rise to two of his greates...Read More
Un ballo in maschera/Manon Lescaut; Opera Holland Park, London Holland Park’s mini-Glyndebourne is now open for business, and in Rodula Gaitanou’s production of Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera it ...Read More
Andrea Chenier, Royal Opera House In making the title role of Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chénier the vehicle for his hundredth Covent Garden appearance, Roberto Alagna has made a wise choice. As a ...Read More
‘Why haven’t we heard about phages before?’ asked Evan Davis brightly on the ‘PM’ programme on May 2. He was referring to the ‘new’ miracle cure which had jus...Read More
Piotr Anderszewski, Wigmore Hall In the strait-laced world of concert pianism, Piotr Anderszewski has long been the joker in the pack. He’s capable of delivering a witty bar-by-bar analysis of his ...Read More
LSO/Simon Rattle, Barbican As a deity whose acolytes believed he had pulled down the palace of traditional tonality, Arnold Schoenberg invited iconoclasm; the only surprise is that the response took ...Read More
A Man of Good Hope, Linbury Theatre, London A show with many progenitors will either flop or develop synergy, and it’s nice to report that A Man of Good Hope does the latter. Co-produced by the Roya...Read More
Faust, Royal Opera House, London Some operas have to be taken in the spirit of the times out of which they sprang, and this applies particularly to Gounod’s Faust. Nobody today could accept its ca...Read More
Orchestra and Choir of the Age of Enlightenment/Rattle, Royal Festival Hall Should Bach’s Passions be staged? They increasingly are, and there are good supporting arguments, particularly in the ca...Read More