Reviews
Elektra, Barbican Hall, London
Le vin herbé, St George's, Bloomsbury, London
Earplugs come in handy once Greek tragedy is in full cry, but a neglected oratorio proves exquisite
Inside Reviews
Album: Prokofiev, String Quartets 1&2/ Pavel Haas Quartet (Supraphon)
Sunday, 17 January 2010
A slight astringency of tone is all that keeps the Pavel Haas Quartet a notch below the Jerusalem and Belcea Quartets.
Album: Buxtehude, VII Suonate, Opus 1/Purcell Quartet (Chandos)
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Marooned in Lübeck, Buxtehude is remembered chiefly for his organ works, a daughter Bach did not wish to marry, and one exquisite cantata, "Membra Jesu Nostri".
Strauss Elektra, London Symphony Orchestra/ Gergiev, Barbican Hall London (Rated 4/ 5 )
Friday, 15 January 2010
Watching and hearing Valery Gergiev conduct Strauss’ Elektra was truly an unholy collusion of neurotic natures.
Stile Antico, Kings Place, London (Rated 5/ 5 )
Friday, 15 January 2010
State-of-the-art Kings Place has as many echo-chambers as a medieval cathedral, and that’s just the foyer, so it was a pleasure to queue for one’s tickets while the five members of Il Suono delivered some spirited Gabrieli.
Album: Anne Sofie von Otter, Ombre De Mon Amant (Deutsche Grammophon) (Rated 4/ 5 )
Friday, 15 January 2010
Performed with period ensemble Les Arts Florissants, Ombre De Mon Amant reflects mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter's affection for the airs of the French Baroque.
Album: Paavo Järvi, Beethoven: Symphony No 9 (RCA Red Seal) (Rated 5/ 5 )
Friday, 15 January 2010
In some interpretations of Beethoven's 9th, it can seem like three lengthy preambles to the Greatest Tune Ever Written, a sustained bout of deferred gratification; but not in this latest performance by Paavo Järvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie.
Album: Thierry Pécou, Symphonie Du Jaguar (Harmonia Mundi) (Rated 3/ 5 )
Friday, 15 January 2010
French composer Thierry Pécou's group, Ensemble Zellig, was named after the chameleonic hero of Woody Allen's 'Zelig', a derivation which suits his eclecticism.
Borodin Quartet, Wigmore Hall (Rated 4/ 5 )
Sunday, 10 January 2010
The Borodin Quartet brings a lot of history to the table – 60 years, to be precise. Personnel may come and go, the balance of personalities may shift, but the identity remains resolutely intact.
Building a Library, Radio 3
Private Passions, Radio 3
Breakfast, Radio 3
Sunday, 10 January 2010
While some presenters try too hard, many celebrate classical music without a fuss. Just brace yourself for a glut of Chopin and Schumann
Album: Chopin, Cello Music/ Andreas Brantelid (EMI)
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Chopin's anniversary avalanche is already in full swing, with this disc by Sweden's highest-flying young cellist leading the field in that instrument.
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