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Barrie Kosky Forges a Brand-New Ring for London’s Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House’s new production of Wagner’s Rheingold, directed by the often provocative and occasionally controversial Australian Barrie Kosky, achieved what most opera houses can only dream about: it became the talk of the town. I heard from one
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Seeking out Others’ Culture: An Interview With Yang Xuefei
In a concert planned for September 2022, but postponed due to the Queen’s death, the London Philharmonic Orchestra has rescheduled their Image China: East Meets West concert to 13 April 2023. Leading Chinese composers Tan Dun and Chen Qigang are
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Russia Today – A Requiem for Peace
On 16 February, the London premiere of Russia Today takes place at King’s Place concert hall. With music by Russian-born composer Eugene Birman, the piece – written during the covid pandemic – features text drawn verbatim from Russians living both
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A Worthwhile Wait of 180 Years
Mercadante’s Il Proscritto Brought to Life by Opera Rara
Music lovers often wonder how a 19th century audience would experience an opera during its absolute first performance, without the benefit of extensive written plot summaries, YouTube videos and CDs to prepare for the music, or Wikipedia guides to pinpoint
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Reflections on the Leeds Piano Competition in 2021
Murray Perahia: Winner in 1972 Since its inception, the Leeds International Piano Competition has attained a highly respected reputation as the “most coveted prize in the piano world and internationally acclaimed for introducing some of the greatest pianists of our
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Houses Slide: An Interview With Laura Bowler
At the Royal Festival Hall in London on Friday, 9 July, the focus of the concert will be the current climate situation. Composer Laura Bowler’s Houses Slide, commissioned by the London Sinfonietta, is a work for soprano and orchestra that
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A Remarkable, Bittersweet Return to Live Music at London’s Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall BBC Radio 3 Special Broadcasts SeriesStephen Hough: JS Bach & Schumann Rarely has a live concert series been so eagerly anticipated. Twenty lunchtime recitals at London’s pre-eminent chamber music venue featuring such luminaries of the classical music world
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Gregory Kunde: Taking His Time to Triumph
Gregory Kunde shines in Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello at the Royal Opera House, a revival of the 2017 production (originally reviewed for Interlude). From the victorious opening exclamation “Esulatate!” (Rejoice!) that rings all the way up to the rafters, to the
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