Opera

The vitality, pace and needling wit of that event are captured here, and elements deadened by Ally Pally theatre’s awkward acoustic are restored to our ears. Top numbers include Jupiter’s Where’er you walk (Hugo Hymas) and that dazzling paean to vanity, Semele’s Myself I shall adore, but the musical pleasures hardly cease. Fine contributions, too, from Lucile Richardot’s Juno/Ino and Gianluca Buratto’s Cadmus. The loyal and committed Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists (leader Kati Debretzeni) shine as ever. … [Read more...] about Classical home listening: Semele at Ally Pally, Russian cello sonatas and more

The world premiere commission for this concert was by Samantha Fernando (b1984), a Royal Philharmonic Society composition winner, whose own earliest experience of live orchestral and choral music was at the Anvil. Her short, delicately sculpted Breathing Space, a whirring and buoyant play on ideas of inhaling and exhaling, made an ear-catching opener. We also had a rare chance to hear Brabbins, always so dedicated to the service of living composers, as creator himself. Modestly, and to generous applause, he introduced his Here and There, originally for brass band, now heard in a new version for orchestra wind, brass and percussion. It all contributed to the mood of celebration. … [Read more...] about The week in classical: the Anvil at 25; Semele; Symphonie fantastique – review

If that signals a Europe hell-bent on conflict then relocating the third act to a brothel for the humiliation of Baron Ochs is presumably intended to point up the decadence and decay that was invading Viennese society, and which the over-the-top sumptuousness of the Marschallin’s palace in the first act was still managing to keep at bay. That’s all fine as far as it goes, but does little to illuminate what the opera is actually about, which is a wry take on growing up and growing older, set at a time when class conventions and pretensions defined the parameters of how such things should be managed. Carsen offers little on that, except to play down the comedy and introduce some distractions – having dancing couples waltzing away behind Octavian and Sophie during their duet in the second act, one of the score’s truly rapturous moments, for instance, is unforgivable. … [Read more...] about Der Rosenkavalier review – big guns and young lovers overcome stage obstacles

Alison recorded a heartfelt video to Mariah later that year imploring her to end the rift between them and help her financially noting medical costs stemming from her HIV-positive diagnosis and an alleged attack in her home in 2015 that left her with brain damage. … [Read more...] about Mariah Carey’s sister claims she saw ‘babies STABBED in satanic rituals’ as she sues mum for ‘abusing her as a kid’

'I was a vendor at Oakland A’s games, I was 14 years old. I went down to sell peanuts and soda and thinking that it would be kind of like from a TV show, where everyone helps out the young kid, trying to make a thing. First of all, I got robbed, twice.' … [Read more...] about Tom Hanks’ voice to be added to Oakland A’s artificial crowd noise… 50 years after the actor worked as a teenage hotdog vendor at baseball team’s home games