This review was written for CultureVulture.net. To read the review there, click here, otherwise continue to read below. 

It has been a quarter of a century since Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass collaborated together and composed Passages – a superb fusion of traditional Indian and Western music, separated into six parts. Today, it is Shankar’s devoted daughter Anoushka who performs with a sitar. Proudly and skilfully, she follows the footsteps of her father playing with world-class orchestras across various genres. Tonight (15 August), it was at the BBC Proms.

Passages has never been performed outside of a studio, live, yet, despite the limited rehearsal time, the Late Night Prom was an electrifying and thrilling event. Prommers enjoyed themselves so much that some danced the evening away in the middle of the pit with little hesitation.

Continue reading

This review was written for CultureVulture.net. To read the review there, please click here, otherwise read below. 

For Monday night, this was a special occasion on many accounts for the BBC Proms. It was the debut for award-winning French early music ensemble Pygmalion and their artistic director Raphaël Pichon. The 32-year-old violinist, countertenor and conductor had dreamed of developing a ensemble – now called Pygmalion – ever since he was an adolescent musician, and the Proms got to see the first glimpse of Pichon’s musical wizardry and genius.

The work performed was Monteverdi’s exquisite 1610 Vespers. This year Monteverdi fans celebrate the composer’s 450th anniversary since his birth. The music was produced while Monteverdi was a choirmaster to Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and he took every opportunity to compose the piece as he saw fit. Rather than simply writing the work as a compendium for choir chapels and churches, such as St Mark’s in Venice or St Peter’s in Rome, he included Vespers psalms, motets and a mass setting – the creation of a spectacular kaleidoscope of spiritual music.

Continue reading

This review was written for CultureVulture.net. To read the review there, click here, otherwise continue to read below. 

As a BBC Proms regular, Nicola Benedetti had the Royal Albert Hall’s attention all to herself when she performed to a packed auditorium on Tuesday night’s Proms 6. It was her time to shine with Shostakovich’s No. 1 Violin Concerto, which she recently recorded on disc, with works by Glazunov, that won critical acclaim. Speaking to BBC Radio 3, she talked about Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto like a dedicated student, equipped to perform the masterwork. She provided evidence of truly understanding the journey of the piece with deep reflection. ‘From the first movement, you have a stomach ache from beginning to the end. It’s just such relentless tension… And then, of course, the cadenza – the isolation is terrifying and grows to a frenzy…’

With her Stradivarius violin, she performed with veracity and a varied blend of colour and emotion. From start to finish, she uncovered the effort, grace and sensitivity required for any violinist attempting to perform the work, and it definitely didn’t seem straightforward. Shostakovich, himself, didn’t compose the concerto to entertain. Rather his aim was to educate and give a lesson, and a historical message, of the political upheaval in his own country in 1947. Stalin was determined to assert power into every aspect of life in the Soviet Union, including the arts, and for the most part, listeners sense the unsettling feelings; the sadness and internal violence Shostakovich faced, within the score’s writing. Naturally, the work was unheard of until Stalin died, a couple of years after Shostakovich had finished it.

Continue reading

Event took place on July 16th 2017. Original review was published on Culturevulture.net. Click here to read review on CultureVulture.net. 

Welcome to the BBC Proms 2017. Marking their 90th anniversary, the Proms continues to pursue Henry Wood’s founding principles and present classical music to the widest possible audience with celebrated international artists, orchestras and conductors. The annual summer festival has its devoted followers and ‘prommers’ rounding up early in the afternoon, just before the big event. And with standing tickets worth £6 only, who could blame them.

Proms 3 was an afternoon concert focused on works by Mozart and Schumann. Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink made his 89th performance at the Proms with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. The conductor looked dashing and in good shape for 88-years-old and, it should be noted, the choice of works for the concert’s programme weren’t quick, hit and run-type pieces. In fact, the first half was no more than an hour long with two fascinating works by Mozart, and Haitink wasn’t taking any survivors. Not literally, of course. As presentation goes the Royal Albert Hall got professionalism at its best with fine and squeaky clean music-playing from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. The relentless and highly-spirited playing was visible throughout the concert – we have to thank the energy and sheer force of Mozartian conductor, Haitink, for that. Continue reading

It is the first time I have ever seen the Kensington Symphony Orchestra (KSO) perform live. Now, having seen them, I can say it is worthwhile having a go and seeing what they can truly do. They have been dubbed ‘one of the very best amateur groups in the country’ by Classical Music Magazine and in this week’s concert at the St John’s Smith Square the KSO certainly lived up to their reputation.

As you know, I’m not classically trained in music, therefore, I could never comment on any musical score in detail, yet I can be honest about the audience experience. I had little knowledge about the pieces the KSO had scheduled in for the evening’s programme, yet I often find that it is far more interesting coming to any event with no expectations. That way, you won’t go away, too, disappointed.

The KSO devoted the night to celebrate Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s 60th birthday celebration of his ‘Sinfonia Semplice’, namely his Sixth Symphony – his most challenging and hard-to-grasp symphony, according to Copenhagen critics at the time of its premiere in 1925. The ironically titled symphony ‘Simple Symphony’ (I’ll explain why later) was the main event for the concert. However, the first performance of the night – Nielsen’s 1927 Overture: An Imaginary Journey to the Faroe Islands – was far more compelling and captivating by contrast to his Sixth Symphony.

Continue reading

Totally last minute! I got word from Fran (@Crosseyedpiano) about 7 Star Arts’s concert taking place not too far from me. It was their Sweet Harmony concert which focused on the genius of Shakespeare through music, words and art. The event took place at Chiswick’s quaint St Michael’s Church with a small and intimate audience, yet the performers and artists were far from amateur. This was an special occasion to get up close with accomplished, talented and professional artists who had graced the stages of The National Theatre, performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and released classical music albums.

The evening was a feast for the senses. Shakespeare’s writings, from his diverse plays, and romantic sonnets were confidently and passionately narrated by Susan Porrett. After each reading, it was an immediate escape for the eyes and the ears.

Continue reading

Last week, Londoners weren’t expecting the terrifying events which took place at Westminster, leaving five dead and forty injured. Although devastating, the terrorist attack brought thousand of Londoners together, coining the hashtag #wearenotafraid as a positive stance against Islamic terrorist groups.

A year ago, the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) had pre-programmed a concert with French contralto singer and conductor Natalie Stutzmann, including two pieces associated with confronting death – Mozart’s Requiem and Richard Strauss’s Tod und Verklärung – and given the close proximity to such aftermath, Stutzmann introduced the concert with a speech, dedicating the concert to those who lost their lives at Westminster and their families. She said, ‘May their souls find solace and appeasement in this offering.’

Continue reading

The mighty Jonas Kaufmann and leading lieder pianist Helmut Deutsch performed at The Barbican this weekend for the first in three concerts of their Kaufmann Residency programme. The concert was a long-awaited return for Kaufmann who had spent months away from the stage due to a vocal illness – seeing him last night just proved how healthy the man was, and how prepared he was to perform again.

This is not the first time that Kaufmann and Deutsch have performed together. In fact, they have recorded CDs (including works by Richard Strauss and Schubert) and performed at international concert halls; New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Wigmore Hall, to name a few. Their musical partnership and long-term friendship was visible last night, including their remarkable synergy working and performing together.

Continue reading

Friday was a special occasion for many who had waited for the live orchestra event to the Oscar-winning film, Amadeus (1984).

The Royal Albert Hall was full to the brim of spectators seeking a Friday night thrill with Mozart’s grand music, taking them back to 17th century Vienna through the ears and eyes of maestro Ludwig Wicki, pianist extraordinaire Patricia Ulrich and the fascinating orchestra who recorded the soundtrack of the film, the Academy of St. Martin in the Field.

The screenplay, originally written for the stage, by Peter Shaffer, saw success on London’s West End and New York’s Broadway during the height of the 80s. It was here that the production caught the attention of producers Saul Zaentz and director Milos Forman as casual audience members who decided to reinvent the show into a film.

Continue reading

First, I must admit that I am more familiar with Schubert’s Wintereisse through the voice of Ian Bostridge, but sung ‘straight’ with nothing else but a piano to accompany the tenor. Last year, I was completely absorbed by Bostridge and international pianist, Thomas Adès’s intimate concert at the Barbican (click here for review), when it was performed to coincide with Bostridge’s book, Schubert’s Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession. Bostridge’s take on this landmark piece encapsulates the literary movement, Romanticism, which also inspired many cultural icons including Samuel Beckett.

Wintereisse is regarded as one of the greatest song-cycles ever written. The emotional impact, the sense of longing and loss, which also influenced German poet, Wilhelm Müller who was known by his contemporaries as the ‘German Bryon.’ Schubert’s music and German poetry stirs and captivates audiences, and gets them to ask, ‘who is this young man in despair? Why does he depart and wander into the cold? And why does he lament lost love? Schubert – who died at the young age of 32 – has written a work that hones in on the darker reflections of man, the meaning of existence and the human condition.

Continue reading