Ukrainian Oksana Lyniv makes history with three-year posting at Bologna’s Teatro ComunaleA female conductor will take the helm at an Italian opera house for the first time in January.The Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv said she was surprised to learn …
The week in classical: Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Sol Gabetta; La traviata – review
Queen Elizabeth Hall; Royal Opera House, LondonThe singular violin-cello duo turn music into exhilarating conversation. And the father of all Germonts dazzles at Covent GardenSkirts flowing, instruments held aloft, feet jingling in bell slippers, stamp…
The sick moon
A couple of creepy/scary/uncanny classical pieces that don’t tend to make it to the mainstream classical music halloween lists.
The finale from Salome where Salome kisses and and sings to the the head of John the Baptist. From the Richard Strauss oper…
Jessye Norman’s family sue over treatment that allegedly left her paralysed
Exclusive: soprano, who died in 2019, stopped performing after surgery in London in 2015She had a voice described as a “grand mansion of sound”, won four Grammy awards and thrilled audiences in the world’s opera house – but suddenly stopped performing …
Norman Bailey obituary
Bass-baritone who excelled as Wagner’s Wotan, Hans Sachs and Flying Dutchman, and in big Verdi rolesThe generation of British opera lovers who got to know Wagner’s works in the late 1960s and 70s was fortunate indeed that Sadler’s Wells (from 1974 Engl…
Tantrum of the opera: how Michael Palin’s angry dad inspired new show
Monty Python star has reinvented his play The Weekend as musical theatreTheatres are about to embark on a new “golden age” thanks to the combination of freshly enthused audiences and a drive for new adventurous work, according to Michael Palin.Ahead of…
Little Simz, Iron Maiden and more: September’s best album reviews
Discover all our four- and five-star album reviews from the last month, from pop to folk, classical and more Continue reading…
The arts have had it tough, but critics need to take off the kid gloves
Mediocre productions have been rewarded with glowing reviews during the pandemic. It’s time to be a little less gentleSeen anything good lately? It is a common bit of small-talk, but often a reliable way to find the next play or film worth watching. Th…
Tosca review – powerful sound and musical magic in the park
Crystal Palace Bowl, LondonDavid Junghoon Kim, Roland Wood and Natalya Romaniw were excellent in ENO’s outdoor semi-staging of Puccini’s opera Sleaford Mods three weeks ago, now Puccini’s Tosca: the South Facing festival, which has brought Crystal Pal…
From Ghetts to Genesis, Nick Cave to Arlo Parks: autumn 2021’s essential music
From Fontaines DC to the Valkyrie, a techno Halloween to Little Simz, this is the unmissable music of the next few months Continue reading…