This Sunday I will be performing in a concert dedicated to HM Queen Elizabeth II in the week of her 90th birthday with Ensemble Marsyas at the Wigmore Hall in London, in a programme about Irish culture in Britain. More information can be found on the Wigmore Hall’s website here including a link to buy tickets online. There is a pre-concert talk at 3pm before the performance which starts at 4pm. There is also an interesting article about one of the pieces here.
Sir Andrew Davis conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Berlioz’s large-scale setting of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Performed and recorded at the Barbican on 22nd January 2016. Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette Michèle Losier (mezzo-soprano) Samuel Boden (tenor) David Soar (bass) BBC Symphony Orchestra BBC Symphony Chorus Sir Andrew Davis (conductor) Available online until 25th February 2016: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06xy9w4
Orphée et Eurydice has been voted Opera of the Year 2015 by the readers of Dutch magazine Place de l’Opera. The production received more than half of the hundreds of votes that were released last week. There were five productions nominated for Opera of the Year 2015, compiled on the basis of the “top 3” lists of 16 opera critics. Four of them had Orphée et Eurydice as their number one choice. Here are the final results: 1. Orphée et Eurydice (Dutch Touring Opera) 2. Lohengrin (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) 3. Dialogues des Carmelites (National Opera) 4. Benvenuto Cellini (National Opera) 5....
This afternoon at 13.00 (14.00 French time) on France Musique will be broadcast a live recording from 20th September’s concert with Le Banquet Céleste at Le Festival d’Ambronay under Damien Guillon. Great period orchestra, 4 singers only, taking all arias, recits and choruses. The 4 Bach Cantatas: BWV 4, BWV 153, BWV 156 & BWV 159 Please click the link below for the broadcast which will be available for a month, and for further information. http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/le-concert-de-l-apres-midi/2015-2016/cantates-sacrees-de-bach-par-le-banquet-celeste-10-16-2015-14-00
This evening, a fantastic programme with the excellent Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. Some very atmospheric solo movements, funky Italian upbeat choruses and lush Bach arias and chorales – well worth a listen. Live broadcast on BR Classic, 7pm UK time, 8pm German time. Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks Conductor: Giovanni Antonini Soloists: Anna Prohaska, Katja Stuber, Sopranos; Marie-Claude Chappuis, Mezzosoprano; Samuel Boden, Tenor; Christian Immler, Bass Antonio Vivaldi: “Dixit Dominus”, R 594; “Nisi Dominus”, Cum dederit, R 608; Johann Sebastian Bach: “Siehe zu, dass deine Gottesfurcht nicht Heuchelei sei”, BWV 179; Antonio Vivaldi: “Gloria”, R 589; Johann Sebastian Bach: “Erschallet, ihr Lieder”, BWV 172 http://www.br.de/radio/br-klassik/programmkalender/sendung-1041228.html...
This evening, 8pm UK time on 22nd August, as part of the “Festival de La Chaise Dieu”, Handel’s Israel in Egypt will be broadcast live on Radio France Musique: http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/le-concert-du-soir/2015-ete/la-chaise-dieu-2015-israel-en-egypte-de-haendel-08-22-2015-20-00 The lesser-performed and more doleful first part “The Ways of Zion do Mourn” will be performed as well as the more dramatic and descriptive 2nd and 3rd parts. This is the last of three performances of the work here in France, with “Les Cris de Paris”, directed by Geoffrey Jourdain.
