Monthly Archives: January 2014

Richard Jones directs ENO’s first production of Handel’s Rodelinda

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Building on ENO’s reputation as the undisputed ‘House of Handel’, Richard Jones directs a new production of Rodelinda, featuring a stellar British cast conducted by baroque specialist Christian Curnyn.

ENO’s inaugural production of Rodelinda follows on from previous successful productions of Handel operas including Ariodante (1993),Alcina (1999),Semele (1999), Jeptha (2005), Agrippina (2007), Messiah (2009), Partenope (2009), Radmisto (2010) Julius Caesar (2012)and of course, Nicholas Hytner’s seminal production of Xerxes (1985).

Widely considered to be one of Handel’s operatic masterpieces, Rodelinda is infused with compelling characters and ravishing music. It is an epic story of love, power and mistaken identity. Bertarido has been driven from his kingdom by Grimoaldo and is presumed dead, leaving behind his grieving wife, Rodelinda. Grimoaldo will imprison Rodelinda unless she agrees to marry him, but then the exiled king returns in disguise.

Richard Jones’s Rodelinda transports the action from the dark ages to 1950s Italy, presenting the conflict between political manoeuvring and emotional relationships in an intense, direct way reminiscent of a contemporary, dark political thriller.

Rodelinda is the third of five new productions Richard will direct for ENO before 2016, continuing his close relationship with the Company. In 2012, his The Tales of Hoffman, was described as “inspired” by Evening Standard and Martin?’s Julietta, of which the Financial Times said, “you couldn’t want a more intelligent or entertaining production”.

Conducting Rodelinda is baroque specialist Christian Curnyn. Christian debuted at ENO in 2008 conducting the Olivier Award-winning production of Partenope. Since then he has conducted a number of baroque operas for the company including After Dido, Castor and Pollux (2012 Olivier Award for Best Opera Production), Julius Caesar and most recently, Medea, described by The Independent as “the most brilliant show to have graced the Coliseum in years”. Following Rodelinda, Christian goes on to conduct L’Ormindo for The Royal Opera at the new Sam Wanamaker Theatre at the Globe.

Leading an exceptional British cast in the title role of Rodelinda is Rebecca Evans. Rebecca has previously performed at ENO as Romilda in Xerxes and most recently as the Governess in David McVicar’s production of The Turn of the Screw, in a performance described by The Guardian as “superbly judged, utterly humane”.

Countertenor Iestyn Davies plays the usurped Bertarido. Iestyn most recently played Oberon in Christopher Alden’s striking production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, described by New York Times as “brilliant”.

Internationally renowned tenor John Mark Ainsley plays Grimoaldo. John last performed at ENO as Emilio in Partenope. Susan Bickley plays Eduige. Susan last sang at ENO in Richard Jones’ production of Julietta.

Christopher Ainslie, who made his ENO debut in 2012 in the role of Helicon in the UK premiere of Detlev Glanert’s Caligula, plays the part of Unulfo.

Completing the cast is Richard Burkhard, playing Garibaldo and Matt Casey, playing Flavio.

Rodelinda opens at the London Coliseum on 28 February 2014 for 8 performances – 28 February & March 4, 6, 11, 13 at 7pm, March 2 at 3pm and March 8, 15 at 6pm.

Pre-performance talk: Tuesday 4 March, 5.00pm-5.45pm, £5/£2.50 concessions

A co-production with the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia

New production supported by Dunard Fund, Colwinston Charitable Trust, Friends of ENO and a syndicate of individual donors

ENO: Peter Grimes

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Stuart Skelton

London Coliseum, 29 January 2014

Over the last year, with the Britten anniversary, we have had a number of presentations of Peter Grimes. The revival of David Alden’s production for ENO was certainly justified in its many strengths, not least the casting, but it still has a number of all too obvious difficulties for many in the audience. While the soloists react naturalistically for most of the time, with many very moving relationships created, their relationship to the borough as a whole, and to the movement of the chorus is confusing. This is particularly noticeable at the end of act one where there is little sense of place in ‘Auntie’s’ and movement is over-stylised. Grimes sits like a children’s story-teller for Now the Great Bear and Pleiades, at odds with the intensity of the music. Act two opens more promisingly with at least some sense of the open landscapes of Suffolk and of the sea, though this is lost entirely with Grimes’ hut, requiring the boy to climb up a ladder in order to fall off the cliff.

Stuart Skelton is probably the finest Grimes we have at present and did not disappoint. The sensitivity he brings to the part and the variety of tone he creates is both refreshing and convincing. Elza van den Heever is one of those rare Ellen’s who you feel really could have made something of Peter under other circumstances. Her singing and her presence are firm throughout, covering her emotional turmoil with courage. The large cast is drawn from strength with Iain Paterson’s Balstrode highly convincing. Quite why the nieces are dressed as school-girls given the 1940s setting is one of many strange anomalies in the production, but they sang with sincerity. The great female quartet was one of many musical highlights of the evening.

Edward Gardner drove his forces hard from the pit and there was often a savagery to the score which was in keeping with the hard edge of David Alden’s production.

A welcome revival but there is more to Peter Grimes than even this production shows. BH

There are seven more performances until 27 February.

Brighton Dome – chamber music for young audiences

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brighton dome A New Scheme allows young audiences to experience chamber music for free

Young people aged between 8 – 25 years old will have the opportunity to attend Brighton Dome’s Coffee Concerts series – in association with Strings Attached – for free, following the latter organisation’s acceptance into a new scheme aimed at attracting new audiences to classical music.

CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust, which concentrates on increasing awareness of chamber music amongst young people, operates a ticket scheme that subsidises the attendance of young people (those aged 8-25 inclusive) to chamber music concerts around the country. The Trust have accepted Strings Attached into the scheme, encompassing the final two concerts in the 2013/2014 Coffee Concert programme at Brighton Dome – Trio Isimsiz (Sun 23 Feb) and Szymanowski Quartet (Sun 16 Mar) – and future seasons of the popular series.

‘Strings Attached are delighted at the opportunity the CAVATINA Scheme provides to share our love of chamber music with young people. We want to promote the scheme widely in Brighton and Hove over the next few months and would welcome contact with teachers as well as young people themselves’.  Mary McKean, Chair, Strings Attached

The popular Coffee Concerts series brings a national and international mix of emerging talent, established artists, and award-winning musicians to the south coast. Featuring world class chamber music, the intimate nature of these recitals – often performed in the round – offer audiences a sociable and enriching experience.

‘From the curious to those keen to try something new, this really is a wonderful opportunity for younger audiences to explore the rich world of chamber music, and an excellent example of organisations working together to make the arts accessible for all. For me, our Sunday morning coffee concerts are the perfect mix of magnificent artists performing wonderful repertoire in a beautiful, historic and welcoming space, and I look forward to seeing new audiences enjoy the experience.’  Andrew Comben, Chief Executive, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival

Trio Isimsiz was formed in 2009 at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, under the guidance of Louise Hopkins and Alasdair Tait. They have participated in masterclasses with the Belcea, Endellion and Takács Quartets at the GSMD and with Pavel Gililov, Wolfgang Reddick and Thomas Riebl at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Over the last year the Trio has undertaken a winter residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts working with Henk Guittart and given recitals at the Barbican and Royal Festival Hall. In 2013 they were accepted for representation by YCAT and this summer return to Salzburg.

Founded in Warsaw in 1995, Szymanowski Quartet is one of the most exceptional string quartets of its generation. In 2005 they were honoured with the Szymanowski Award in Warsaw and in 2007 they were awarded the Medal of Honour by the Polish government for their service to Polish culture.

CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust was formed in 1998 with the aim of developing young audiences for chamber music. It is the only organisation which concentrates solely on increasing awareness of chamber music amongst young people. As well as subsidising free tickets for chamber music concerts in over 20 venues across the UK, the organisation also presents around 50 school concerts a year; provides scholarships for young people in special circumstances; promotes chamber music competitions and sponsors master classes in order to raise the quality of chamber music in educational establishments.

The number of free tickets for 8 – 25 year olds are limited for each concert and need to be booked in advance. To apply for tickets, visit Brighton Dome Ticket Office on New Road with details of your name, email address and date of birth. Tickets are available immediately.

Ticket Office – 01273 709709 | brightondome.org

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Strauss’s Voice

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R Strauss

Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 23 January 2014

To celebrate the Richard Strauss anniversary – he was born 11 June 1864 – the Halle and BBC Philharmonic orchestras have come together to enable us to hear some of his less frequently performed works. The opening Festliches Praludium was a good case in point. Scored for a vast orchestra including almost 100 strings, the piece was a commission from the Emperor Franz Joseph, and certainly sounds like it. Grandiose to the point of pomposity and sheer triumphalism, it rattles along with hints of Brahms and Weber to keep listeners happy even as they cover their ears at the impact. As if the forces were not enough Strauss uses the full might of the organ and ends with a set of off-stage trumpets. All rather glorious if the forces are available but one would hardly go out of one’s way to hear it otherwise.

The heart of the evening was the performance of four orchestral songs. The first three were sung by Roderick Williams, to, thankfully, a normal sized orchestra. Notturno must be one of the most depressing, near suicidal, works ever composed. The textures are often close to Act 3 of Tristan and there is even a hint of Parsifal at the setting of der tiefen Wunde dunkles Mal. Thankfully Hymnus is more enthusiastic and hope comes at last with Pilgers Morgenlied. Throughout, Roderick Williams was able to carry heroically over the orchestra and bring subtlety to the text.

After the interval he was replaced by William Dazeley in the gothic nightmare Nachtlicker Gang. Here the orchestra is frequently so loud the singer’s voice is completely lost, though the printed text took us neatly through the horrors of the singer’s vision. Pitiless to the end, the climax is so insistent it was never quite convincing. Perhaps it was all too much of good thing and, in a different context, might have made a stronger impression.

No such problem with the final work, Ein Alpensinfonie, which dates from the same period as the songs. The lush writing and strong narrative effects were carried through with ease under the sure handling of Juanjo Mena. The hushed ending brought us safely back to earth after the heady risk of the mountain tops and the terror of the alpine storm.

The series continues with a wide range of events between now and March 2014, involving both orchestras and an impressive range of soloists. BH

Mark Wigglesworth appointed Music Director at ENO

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Mark W ENO

English National Opera (ENO) has today announced that its highly-acclaimed Music Director Edward Gardner will leave his role at the end of the 2014/15 season to take up his new appointment as Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. He will be succeeded by Mark Wigglesworth, who takes up the ENO baton in September 2015.

John Berry, Artistic Director of ENO said:

“Ed Gardner has been a phenomenal Music Director, rightly winning plaudits across the board for the outstanding performances of our orchestra and chorus under his leadership. I’d like to thank him for his huge musical contribution to ENO and I look forward to working with him on a number of exciting company projects during 2014 and 2015.  I wish Ed every success with his symphonic work and I’m delighted he’ll be back with us in 2016 as a guest conductor.

“It’s tremendous that I am also able to announce Ed’s successor today. Mark is one of the most outstanding conductors of his generation and I’m thrilled to be working with him. His appointment highlights ENO’s current standing in the international opera world and our ability to attract the very best talent from across the arts and the wider creative industries. He has already had great success with us in recent seasons, conducting acclaimed performances of Katya Kabanova and Parsifal, and his brilliant technique and natural flair for the theatre make him a natural choice to lead the Company.

“I know Mark will make his presence felt and will support our mission to make ENO one of the most theatrically dynamic and musically exciting opera houses in the world.”

Equally at home in the concert hall or opera house, internationally acclaimed conductor Mark Wigglesworth has worked with orchestras across the UK, Europe and North America, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Cleveland Orchestra.

He and ENO are no strangers, with Mark having conducted Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (2001), Così fan tutte (2002 and 2003) Falstaff(2004), Katya Kabanova (2010), and Parsifal (2011, “confidently shaped…masterfully calculated”, The Telegraph) at the London Coliseum. Elsewhere, he has worked with Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera, Netherlands Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, Sydney Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera, New York and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where he will be conducting again shortly before taking up his post at ENO.

Photo: Mark Wigglesworth by Sim Canetty-Clarke

January CDs & DVDs

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SiegfriedWagner: Siegfried

La Scala, Milan, Daniel Barenboim

ARTHAUS 101 695

 

On paper this looks to be about as good as it gets; Barenboim with the orchestra of La Scala, Milan, and a clutch of fine Wagner singers. So what went wrong? The most important is, unfortunately, the Siegfried of Lance Ryan. Though his quieter singing is often sensitive, for too much of the time he pushes his voice, producing an uncomfortable sense of strain and often ugly tone. While he might just get away with this in a live performance it is not acceptable for one which we are being asked to live with. That Peter Bronder’s Mime and Johannes Martin Kranzle’s Alberich are so good only highlights the disparity. There is also a problem with singers needing to keep an eye on the conductor. Both Lance Ryan and Terje Stensvold’s Wanderer too frequently look away from the person they are singing to and towards the pit. This breaks the credibility of the action, and undermines the psychological impact.

Guy Cassiers’ production and design often produce some very beautiful stage effects, particularly the opening of act two. However he does have some very strange ideas. Siegfried, alone in the forest, is surrounded by a number of dancers plus a young woman in a wedding dress who we gather is the spirit of the woodbird. The dragon is, as usual these days, a disaster, and Brunnhilde appears to be waking up on a pile of dirty laundry left by the departing Valkyries.

Maybe later revivals will address some of these issues, but it is too late for the release of the recordings which, while having some passing interest, are not really good enough to live with.

A missed opportunity.

 

 wesendonckWagner: Wesendonck Lieder and overtures

Nina Stemme, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard

BIS 2022

 

A rather unusual mixture here. Nina Stemme is well focussed and passionate in the Wesendonck Lieder, and the inclusion of the arrangement of Traume for violin and orchestra is interesting. However I wonder how many listeners would need both versions of the overture to Der Fliegende Hollander or yet another prelude to Die Meistersinger?

 

grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten-Pears Orchestra, Steuart Bedford

ARTHAUS 102179

 

This should not make any sense, yet it was a triumph, not only for all those involved but for the impact of the work in the open air. If you are still unconvinced, watch it for yourselves.

 

 giuliniVerdi: Requiem

Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini

EUROARTS 3079968

 

I remember hearing Giulini conduct the Verdi Requiem in London at about the same time that this recording was made and it is just as thrilling as my memory recalls. It is one of the truly great benefits of modern technology that we can relish the music making of previous generations with such ease. The soloists are operatically impressive, and the whole approach is extrovert and engaging. The fact that it is in monochrome and a little hazy at times should not put anyone off.

 

ariadne

Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bohm

Salzburg Festival 1965

 

I noted above how good it is to have these early recordings, even if they are in monochrome, and this outstanding Ariadne supports the point. Drawn from strength, there is not a weak moment in the casting, with a range of legendary voices, including Paul Schoffler as the Music Master, Sena Jurinac as the composer, Reri Grist as Zerbinetta, Hildegard Hillebrecht as Ariadne and Jess Thomas as Bacchus. Gunther Rennert’s production may seem old-fashioned and lacking in ‘ideas’ but it serves the music perfectly and allows the singers to create their characters with subtlety and close attention to detail. The soloists interact as if in a play rather than singing in a vast opera house. Karl Bohm’s conducting is fluid and romantic throughout. A gem!

BBC Symphony Orchestra

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labeque

Barbican Hall, 16 January 2014

In 1941 Martinu arrived in the USA, fleeing from the war in Europe. At the same time Shostakovich was wrestling with his Seventh Symphony, the Leningrad, while his country was under severe attack from German forces.

The two works which the BBC Symphony Orchestra, under the superb guidance of Semyon Bychkov, presented to us reflected this difference, Martinu’s Concerto for Two Pianos being as far removed from the Leningrad in psychological impact as one could imagine.

Katia and Marielle Labeque were the soloists and their long partnership was amply reflected in the subtle interchanges between them and the fluidity of their approach. Martinu drops us headlong into a full romantic wash of sound, heavily syncopated, but with sudden bursts of unexpected lyricism. If the impact is closer to Gershwin than more familiar Czech music, the composer had spent a considerable amount of time in Paris before leaving for the USA and this west European influence, to say nothing of jazz, is heavily felt throughout. The second movement allows us to hear the pianists individually as well as together without the orchestra. The final movement again enfolds us in a rapid dance which quickly breaks down into an episodic but never uninventive whole. Tiny moments of melody are snatched from the overall percussive approach. Though this may not be a masterpiece it is certainly well worth hearing more often than it is at present.

The warmly lyrical opening of the Leningrad  lulls us into expectations which are not forthcoming. Semyon Bychkov finds hints of Mahler and Sibelius here before the massive impact of the invasion theme. This was magnificently structured, with exceptional solo playing across the whole orchestra. Just when it seemed it could not get any louder the dynamics exploded to an almost painful level. The uneasy calm of the Moderato, with its sudden dark moments and acrid outbursts, prepared us for the hushed interludes of the third movement and the almost lush string sounds that permeate the scoring here. Marie Lloyd’s clarinet playing was particularly noteworthy, giving a plaintive but surprisingly sweet note to the narrative.

The fourth movement has passages of genuine violence, but is it heroic as well? The final pages left us in no doubt of its power and, almost, its fractured nobility, but there was, inevitably a question mark hanging in the air. Can so much anguish and loss ever lead to a genuinely triumphant conclusion?

A magnificent evening, with the orchestra on better form than ever. BH

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

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The Dome, Brighton

12 January 2014

The first concert of the New Year – assuming that the glories of the New Year concert itself was technically in last year! – brought a real rarity in the form of Beethoven’s piano concerto no 6. No this is not a misprint, it really does exist. What is more this is not an attempt to reconstruct a new concerto from the 182 bars the composer actual drafted of a new concerto. The 6th piano concerto is actually Beethoven’s own arrangement of his violin concerto for piano.

For those of us who know the violin concerto well, it was the clarity of the melodic line which impressed in pianist Andrejs Osokins’ performance. While the piano obviously has extra weight, a fact used more substantially in the militaristic cadenzas, there is never any sense that Beethoven is padding out the writing for the large scale of the piano. If anything he scales back the left hand writing to allow the right to sing more freely.

It may not be a regular part of the familiar canon but it was certainly worth hearing, and very well received.

The concerto was book-ended by Dvorak, opening with three Slavonic dances. Solo work here was particularly impressive, with fine flute playing from Christine Messiter.

Dvorak’s 9th symphony may be very familiar but its superb writing more than justifies its regular appearance on our concert platforms. Barry Wordswoth brought elan and passion to the work, moulding the long paragraphs with ease, creating a fine sense of fluidity.

The next concert on 9 February includes the Mendelssohn violin concerto with works by Prokofiev and Haydn. BH

BPS: New Year Concert

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The Dome, Brighton, 31 December 2013

There is only one composer when New Year celebrations come to mind – Johann Strauss – and far better to hear him live than rest as a couch-potato in front of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Johann Strauss II

Barry Wordsworth set a cracking pace with a bright and breezy performance of Suppe’s Overture Light Cavalry before we got into Strauss proper with the Egyptian March. As a remarkably well trained audience we were all well up to the vocal chorus for the work, as we were equally sensitive in adding the choral backing in Vilja later in the afternoon. Before that we indulged ourselves in Lehar’s Gold and Silver Waltz.

The young Portuguese soprano Susanna Gaspar has a pleasing weight to her voice as well as the ringing top notes to excite the audience. Her Vilja was moving and her Je veux vivre sparkled as it should do. In the second half she gave us a delicate rendition of Dvorak’s Song to the Moon from Rusalka and a seductive Meine lippe from Lehar’s Giuditta. Rightly she came back at the end to add even more smouldering eroticism with the habanera from Carmen.

The first half concluded with the quiet intimacy of Strauss’ Die Libelle, the Thunder and Lightning Polka and the slightly melancholic majesty of the Emperor Waltz.

The second half opened with more Suppe, before the Champagne Polka which allowed the percussion section to come into its own. The percussion often seem to get more to do at New Year than other times of the year, what with sleigh bells, champagne corks and shot guns!

A rather rapid run through Voices of Spring led to the second half arias, and the matinee concluded with the Cuckoo Polka (more percussion solos for bird noises), the Hunting Polka (shot gun) and, inevitably The Blue Danube.

Needless to say this was not quite the end. We had to join in with the Radetzky March, bringing the afternoon to an enthusiastic climax – and when we left, the rain had stopped!

The next concert is on Sunday 12 January and includes Beethoven’s own arrangement of his violin concerto for piano.

Maidstone Symphony Orchestra

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Maidstone Symphony Orchestra – CHANGE OF PROGRAMME

Emma Johnson

Clarinetist, Mark Simpson is unfortunately not now available as soloist on 1 February. He was due to play the Copland Clarinet concerto.

By great good fortune, international soloist Emma Johnson is available on that date and has worked with Brian Wright before on a number of occasions. She will be playing Gerald Finzi’s Clarinet Concerto in place of the Copland – a work she knows and loves well. Written in 1949, the clarinet concerto is possibly his most famous instrumental work, with its infectious lyricism and charm coupled with a strong emotional core. She has recorded the work, together with the Stanford Clarinet Concerto, with the RPO under Sir Charles Groves.

For bookings for individual concerts please telephone MSO Ticket Secretary Alan Veal on 01622 735 830 or for bookings by credit card contact the box office at Maidstone Leisure Centre on 0845 155 2277.