Classical Reviews

Edinburgh Festival: Boulez celebration, Andreas Ottensamer, Stephen Hough

David Kettle Friday, 19 August 2016

Remarkably, Pierre Boulez made his first appearance at the Edinburgh International Festival way back in 1948, at only the Festival’s second ever outing, in charge of music for director Jean-Louis Barrault’s production of Hamlet. He remained a regular visitor across the decades, and following his death in January, the EIF’s Pierre Boulez: A Festival Celebration was a late but clearly necessary addition to the Festival’s already bulging classical programme.

Prom 43: Argerich, West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Barenboim

David Nice Thursday, 18 August 2016

It's not so long since Daniel Barenboim sat around a table with Israeli officials telling him that Wagner couldn't be played in the homeland when someone's mobile fanfared the "Ride of the Valkyries", demolishing the opposition's case.

Prom 39: Johnston, BBCSO, Oramo

Sebastian Scotney Monday, 15 August 2016

The mid-way point of the BBC Proms has just passed. Attention during the eight-week season will inevitably tend to gravitate towards the novelties, “events” and one-offs, but one pre-condition for the summer to be going well is that the Proms' backbone ensemble, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, which plays no fewer than 12 of the concerts, has to be on good form.

Classical CDs Weekly: Meister, Prokofiev, Uri Caine & Jenny Lin

graham Rickson Saturday, 13 August 2016

Johann Friedrich Meister: Il giardino del piacere Ensemble Diderot/Johannes Pramsohler (dir. and baroque violin) (Audax Records)

Edinburgh Festival: Bartoli, Barry Humphries, Deep Time

David Kettle Thursday, 11 August 2016

The big yellow banners proclaiming "Welcome, world" are out. And judging by the seething, heaving crowds, a fair portion of the world has indeed descended on Edinburgh, where the annual August festivals season has now been up and running for just shy of a week.

Proms at...Cadogan Hall: Hardenberger, Gruber, ASMF

David Nice Tuesday, 09 August 2016

Superior light music with a sting, done at the highest level: what could be better for a summer lunchtime in the light and airy Cadogan Hall? Our curator was that most collegial of top soloists, trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger. He'd invited colleagues of many nations, all of them first rate, but it was almost a given that chansonnier-composer HK Gruber would steal the show.

Prom 29: NYO, Gardner/Prom 30: Kolesnikov, NYOS, Volkov

David Nice Monday, 08 August 2016

If the BBC were to plan a Proms season exclusively devoted to youth orchestras and ensembles, many of us would be delighted. Standards are now at professional level right across the board.

Comment

theartsdesk at the Verbier Festival 2016

Peter Quantrill Sunday, 07 August 2016

Idyllic setting, star-rated musicians, the sense of an occasion. Verbier so wholly fulfils the clichés of an international music festival that to the cynical it can seem complacent or arrogant in doing so. To the uninitiated – and this was my first visit to the Monaco of the Mountains – there is more than a sprinkling of magic about the sheer implausibility of the place.

Prom 27: Kuusisto, BBCSSO, Dausgaard

alexandra Coghlan Saturday, 06 August 2016

Concert halls, as Gregg Wallace might observe if he ever went to one, don’t come much bigger than the Royal Albert Hall, nor violin concertos than the Tchaikovsky. Faced with this awesome combination, the temptation for a soloist is to play up to the occasion. Volume gets louder, vibrato faster, emotions are amped. But not for Pekka Kuusisto.