Planet Hugill

A Handel Celebration: 25 years since the Handel House opened - The Brook Street Band, The London Handel Players & Helen Charlston will be there

2026-10-20T09:39:27.822+01:00

Amazingly it is 25 years since the Handel House (now Handel Hendrix House) opened in London and Handel Hendrix House is celebrating. There is a concert on 10 November at Handel's parish church, St George's Hanover Square which celebrates his music. The Brook Street Band and The London Handel Players are joining forces for a programme that features the Trio Sonata in B minor (HWV386), the Sonata in A major (HWV361) and the cantata Mi palpita il cor (HWV132c) with mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston.

Rather appropriately, Mi palpita il cor is one of the cantatas that Handel wrote in London, in the 1710s. Similarly the Trio Sonata in B minor was written in the 1720s (and published in 1733) and its final Allegro is linked to the Chandos Anthems, and the Sonata in A Major dates from a similar period.

For those wanting to make the evening that bit more celebratory, there is pre-concert reception at Handel’s home from 5.30pm before making the short walk to St George’s Church for the concert.

Handel Hendrix House's new exhibition, Hallelujah House: Inside Handel’s HQ celebrates both 25 years since Handel's house in Brook Street opened to the public and the way the house was central to Handel's musical life [see my review]

Full details from the Handel Hendrix House website.

Late romantics: Jashandeep Reehal & Holland Park Sinfonia return with Richard Strauss, Korngold & Vaughan Williams

2026-10-20T09:09:30.780+01:00

Jashandeep Reehal and his Holland Park Sinfonia will be returning to St Peter's Church, Notting Hill for their next concert on 13 November 2026 which features music written in the 1940s and 1950s by three very different distinguished composers, one German, one Austrian/American and one English.

The programme features Richard Strauss's late masterpiece, his Oboe Concerto (with soloist Sasha Puller) written in 1945 as a result of a discussion with a US Army corporal who turned out to be principal oboe with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Another late work is Korngold's Theme & Variations, written in 1953 for the American School Orchestras Association and Korngold's last completed original work before his death in 1957. Completing the programme is Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 5 written between 1938 and 1943. Despite the composer being 71 when the work was premiered, this is hardly a 'late' work as Vaughan Williams would continue writing until his death in 1958, producing four further symphonies.

The orchestra's previous concert in June featured a programme combining Rachmaninoff and Barber and you can catch a video of their performance in my article. Jashandeep Reehal is a self-taught musician from Punjab, India who moved to London three to four years ago. He never studied music and taught himself how to play guitar, piano, compose and arrange. Growing up in a small town in India, classical music was never something that existed and as a culture, Sikh people never ever ventured into that world, and he speculates that he is most probably the first ever turbaned Sikh conductor.

Full details of the concert from the orchestra's website.

36 nominees in 9 categories with 15 first-time nominees: the 2026 Ivors Composer Awards

2026-10-20T08:30:26.496+01:00

The Ivors Composer Awards take place this year on 17 November 2026 at Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London when the winners will be announced from this year's nominees. The Ivors Academy has just announced the 36 composers and librettists nominated for an Ivor Novello Award across nine categories, with 15 first-time nominees including Ailís Ní Ríain, Anselm McDonnell, Deirdre McKay, Ioana Șelaru, Pav Gekko, Richard Collins, Ruth Morley, Sam Slater, Samuel D Loveless, Sasha Scott, Thomas Farnon and librettist Lee Hall.

Best Original Documentary Score is a new category which aims to recognise the creative contribution original music can have to the telling and impact of real stories. Best Original Film Score and Best Original Television Score are categories historically celebrated at The Ivors, which have been moved to join the rest of the composition categories at The Ivors Composer Awards for the first time. These changes either bring all composer activity together - recognising composers working across genres and disciplines, from film, television and video games to concert halls, community engagement and live performance - or, as a cynic might suggest, weaken the impact of the categories focusing on contemporary classical music.

The Awards are being presented in association with BBC Radio 3 and the ceremony will be broadcast across BBC Radio 3’s schedule, in programmes such as The New Music Show (21/11/2026), Sound of Cinema (21/11/2026) as well as on Breakfast and In Tune.

Best Community and Participation Composition with ABRSM, original music created for voluntary, amateur or youth performers: Samuel D Loveless for his multi-format neurodivergent-focussed work Benches, Ailís Ní Ríain for her brass band piece Holocene, Brian Irvine for How We Stand, How We Breathe, a collaboration with a diverse range of individuals and groups across Northern Ireland.
Best Large-Scale Composition, works written for 13 or more performers: Anna Thorvaldsdottir for her cello concerto Before We Fall, Robert Laidlow for his tone poem for orchestra Exoplanets, Hania Rani for her piano concerto Non Fiction, Laura Bowler for The White Book – a work inspired by Han Kang’s book of the same name – and Cassie Kinoshi’s [UNTITLED] for ensemble and solo turntables.
Best Small-Scale Composition, solo or ensembles of fewer than 13 performers: Ben Nobuto for Hope Spiral, Sasha Scott for Night Owl, Ruth Morley for Reef, Alex Paxton for Scrunchy Touch Sweetly To Fall (Kite and Finger Run) and Hania Rani for Shining.
Best Vocal and Choral Composition: Anselm McDonnell for A Taste of Trapped Sun, written for the BBC Singers reflecting on the 2016 signing of the Paris Agreement, Stephen McNeff’s Ballads of a Bogman – a song cycle for tenor and piano with poems by Sigerson Clifford [see my review], Richard Blackford for The Black Lake, Martin Suckling for Songs of Sleep and Prophecy, and Deirdre McKay for Litany to the Magdalene Dead, a song commemorating the women who died in Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries [see my review and my interview with pianist Deirdre Brenner].
Best Original Score for Performance, music written for live performance: Mark-Anthony Turnage and librettist Lee Hall for their opera Festen, Richard Ayres for his theatrical journey into the inner workings of an orchestra No. 59 (Dr Frompou’s Anatomical Study of an Orchestra), and Bushra El-Turk's music theatre work Oum – A Son’s Quest for his Mother.
Best Original Documentary Score: Richard Collins and Patrick Jonsson for their score for A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough, Thomas Farnon for David Frost Vs..., Benjamin Kwasi Burrell for Grenfell: Uncovered, Jessica Dannheisser for The Last Musician of Auschwitz and Hannah Peel for Underland.
Best Original Film Score: Ioana Șelaru and Siôn Trefor for their soundtrack to Welsh drama film Effi O Blaenau, combining acoustic instruments, synthesisers and vocals. Daniel Pemberton and Oliver Coates for their scores to Project Hail Mary and The History of Sound respectively.
Best Original Television Score: Carly Paradis for her soundtrack to ITVX true crime series Believe Me, Siôn Trefor for the Netflix thriller Legends and Patrick Jonsson for BBC comedy-drama series Mint.
Best Original Video Game Score: The Flight (Alexis Smith and Joe Henson) for 007 First Light, Sam Slater for Saros and Pav Gekko is for Spirit of the North 2.

Further details from the Ivors Academy website.

One Community, No Exclusions: Music for Change supporting You Are Loved's mission to reduce deaths from suicide and drugs in the LGBTQ+ community

2026-10-19T10:50:49.072+01:00

On 20 November 2026 at St Marylebone Parish Church, Music for Change returns for its second edition. The event, presented by Big Gay Out and Song in the City, is a fundraising concert for You Are Loved supporting their mission to reduce deaths from suicide and drugs in the LGBTQ+ community.

All proceeds go to You Are Loved. Last year's concert, at St Giles Cripplegate, drew over 300 people and raised £11,000, and this year they hope to build on that in a larger venue.

This year, under the theme of One Community, No Exclusions, the evening promises music to celebrate a community that includes everyone: lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer alike. Blending classical and musical theatre performance with heartfelt purpose, the concert raises urgent funds while affirming that the fight for equal rights is one we carry together – as one community, with no exclusions.

Music for Change at St Giles Cripplegate in 2025

The concert falls on Transgender Day of Remembrance, 20 November 2026 – a day to honour the trans lives lost to violence and prejudice.

Further information and tickets from TicketTailor website.

Deeply problematic, both aesthetically & ethically: Du Yun's Angel's Bone from English National Opera at London Coliseum

2026-10-19T09:28:59.224+01:00

Du Yun & Royce Vavrek: Angel's Bone - English National Opera at London Coliseum [Photo: Tristram Kenton]

Du Yun & Royce Vavrek: Angel's Bone; Allison Cook, Rodney Earl Clarke, Matthew McKinney, Mariam Wallentin, Keith Pun, director: Kip Williams, conductor: Baldur Brönnimann; English National Opera at the London Coliseum
Reviewed 16 October 2026 by Saskia Bibb

In the London premiere by English National Opera of Angel's Bone, an “opera-theatre” work exploring slavery and human trafficking, moments of winning music are swallowed up by ill-conceived theatre. The graphic depictions of rape and violence are as harrowing as they are fruitless.

Sasiki Bibb writes: Composer Du Yun and librettist Royce Vavrek tell the story of two angels who fall to earth. The unhappily married couple who find them are overcome by greed and exploit the innocents, clipping their valuable feathers and condemning them to sexual slavery. Yun and Vavrek readily advertise in the programme that the desired effect is introspection; we are supposed to ask the question “when given the means… to exploit those who are vulnerable, how quickly do we abandon our morals?” The answer, for any normal person, is a hell of a lot less quickly than that.

There is no dramatic arc and not a single believable character. This is part due to the libretto consisting of a string of abstract soundbites, and in part due to a poorly paced plot. The programme would have us believe that Mr & Mrs X.E. initially nurse the angels back to health, but “care quickly turns to control”. It is very quick indeed, blink and you’ll miss it. Within minutes of being introduced to the unhappy couple, the angels have landed in the garden, and a heartbeat later they are pinning the angels to the kitchen table and mutilating them. That leaves 99% of the opera left for the unrelenting horrors of their exploitation, and an incoherent coda that confuses the message and takes the focus off the victims. The last thing I wanted was for the show to last any longer, but the descent into amorality was so rushed that it was impossible to buy into the rest of the drama.

Du Yun & Royce Vavrek: Angel's Bone - Allison Cook, Keith Pun - English National Opera at London Coliseum [Photo: Tristram Kenton]

The character of Mrs X.E. is ambitious in scope, the aim being to find the sweet spot where the audience is horrified by her actions but sufficiently able to relate to her that they confront the darkness of their own character. God help anyone who can empathise with Mrs X.E. She chooses the dark path instantly, and pursues it with fervour. We are not given any reason to believe that she is anything other than a psychopath. Are we meant to be softened by the brief allusion to financial hardship, or her barking to her husband that she doesn’t love him? A character of such one-dimensional evil is both impossible to relate to and incredibly boring.

Alison Cook was therefore handed a mammoth task. While she could not perform miracles with such flawed material, her unfaltering energy did at least provide abundant momentum — a firm hand to drag us through proceedings. Vocally she triumphed, providing the incisive and flexible singing demanded by the challenging score, from earthy bottom notes to a ringing top, with emphatically clear text.

Mr X.E. is a forgettable character that vanishes in the wake of Mrs X.E.’s deranged histrionics, leaving no sense of him as a person. This is no fault of Rodney Earl Clarke’s acting and he gives a committed performance. His voice lacked bite, although his Louis Armstrong/opera crossover moment was diverting. “Male soprano” barely qualifies as a character. It is a gimmick, the only purpose of which is to raise eyebrows by putting the words “male” and “soprano” together. Apart from anything else, Keith Pun is not a soprano, he is a countertenor. He stands around watching, emotionally and narratively detached, occasionally singing (perfectly well but with no chance to shine). The angels themselves are twitching caricatures of PTSD. They have no character, no personality, no humanity.

Musically, Du Yun catapults us through a dizzying array of genres. The opera opens in the contemporary classical paradigm, before crashing into a drunken, twisted jazz romp for the orgiastic party — the upbeat style subverted to create a gnawing feeling of perversion that fits the ensuing depravity. For the first appearance of the angels Du Yun writes with bewitching, enigmatic lyricism. The melodies twist and leap, with a heady, hypnotic affect. Matthew McKinney, in the role of Boy Angel, has the perfect voice for this: lean, supple and direct. Throughout he imbues his voice with suffering, without losing the sweetness of his lyrical tenor that speaks to the character’s innocence. The many fiendish high passages were delivered with a piercing emotion as well as a grounded legato.

Du Yun & Royce Vavrek: Angel's Bone - Mariam Wallentin - English National Opera at London Coliseum [Photo: Nirah Sanghani]

The problem with the music is not in what Du Yun writes, rather in the moment when she throws the pen down and dismisses the entire premise of opera. After Girl Angel, played by Mariam Wallentin, is assaulted, she responds with a pointed non-aria of electronic sound and spoken word that descends into screaming. Du Yun explained in an interview that “any victim, any girl being raped, would not deliver an aria. Someone would scream or use their voice in a visceral way”. The flaw in this line of argument is that, in real life, no one responds to any event by singing an aria. The power of opera is that it channels human experiences, even the most intense, into music. It is very strange for ENO to give such a large platform to someone so contemptuous of the art form.

Kip Williams’s staging is defined by the team of cameramen on stage filming the cast, and the huge screens above the stage on which this footage appears live. It’s a remarkable feat, and a terrible idea. The kool-aid of exciting new technological possibilities has been drunk, and no one has stopped to ask if it has any aesthetic merit. People come to opera for the experience of live performance, and this does not feel like live performance. The eye is drawn to the big screens, so you feel completely detached from the cast. Exacerbating this is the fact that the singing is miked and the cameras don’t show the whole stage at once, so it’s impossible to connect what you’re hearing to the singers on stage — I doubt it would have made much difference if the music had been pre-recorded. The final straw is that, even if you force yourself to watch the live version, often you can’t: at several points the action is fully concealed behind sets.

One such moment is a prolonged and horrifyingly graphic rape scene, that takes place behind the closed door of the bathroom and is presented in sickeningly close detail on the huge screens. Watching this is a horrible experience, which is precisely what the team was going for, but it is deeply problematic, both aesthetically and ethically.

To start with, it is a cheap trick. It is shocking and affecting not by virtue of artistry, but only because the material is inherently harrowing and the depiction is borderline pornographic. Secondly, one doesn’t need to go deep into the philosophical weeds to see that art needs to do something more than display the brutal, unfiltered horror of reality. Reality itself provides that in bucketloads, just turn on the news. But finally, and most seriously, there is the question of whether it is ethical to display such content. Journalism is aware of the need to have a conversation about whether it is in the public interest to publish graphic material. There is no sense that such a conversation took place here. The tagline for this ENO season is “opera that does not look away”. Of course we shouldn’t look away from the issue of sexual exploitation, but it is only natural and right to want to look away from the act itself.

Du Yun & Royce Vavrek: Angel's Bone - English National Opera at London Coliseum [Photo: Tristram Kenton]

To “challenge” the audience has to be a give-and-take: the audience faces up to a dark reality it would be easier to avoid, in return they leave with a deeper understanding, a new perspective. The audience walked in thinking rape was a horrifying crime, and walked out thinking rape was a horrifying crime. Art, of course, doesn’t have to be enjoyable per se, but people had paid good money to watch something that would enhance their humanity. This was not challenging, it was punishing.

Perhaps most infuriating is the insistence that this is attracting new audiences, a triumph for access. No evangelising opera fan in their right mind would choose this to win over a newcomer to opera.

Saskia Bibb

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Elsewhere on this blog

Schubert's Baritone: A celebration of Johann Michael Vogl - James Newby & Joseph Middleton at Wigmore Hall - concert review
Less is more: Elena Langer's Ariadne & Purcell's Dido hit home in finely abstract productions, a real ensemble achievement from English Touring Opera - opera review
As JW3's classical music series returns for its 4th year, I chat to artistic director David Waterman - interview
Modernising Gluck: English Touring Opera's new production of Orpheus and Eurydice puts a distinctly contemporary spin on the work - opera review
Pianist Zubin Kanga asks the question 'What does it feel like to improvise with AI?' - feature
Beautifully curated: Carolyn Sampson & Joseph Middleton explore all manner of obsession in Reason in Madness at Oxford Song Festival - review
Britten in Love: Robin Tritschler & Malcolm Martineau explore the composer's emotional life through his music - concert review
Immortal Mozart: Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler & Sholto Kynoch bring a light touch to their exploration of Schubert's admiration for Mozart - review
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Schubert's Baritone: A celebration of Johann Michael Vogl - James Newby & Joseph Middleton at Wigmore Hall

2026-10-19T08:54:07.596+01:00

Vogl and Franz Schubert,
caricatured by Franz von Schober (c. 1825)

Schubert's Baritone: A celebration of Johann Michael Vogl; James Newby, Joseph Middleton; Wigmore Hall
Reviewed 13 October 2026

An imaginative exploration of Schubert's important relationship with baritone Johann Michael Vogl, and a showcase for baritone James Newby's talents in Schubert

The baritone Johann Michael Vogl (1768-1840) is one of those figures who flit in an out of modern accounts of Schubert's life without Vogl himself coming into focus. The baritone was an important figure in the dissemination of Schubert's songs and remained supportive of the younger composer from their first encounter in 1817 right through to Vogl's singing in Schubert's memorial concert and his private rendition of the whole Winterreise a year before his own death.

On Tuesday 13 October 2026 (apologies for the late posting), baritone James Newby and pianist Joseph Middleton brought Johann Michael Vogl back into focus with their programme Schubert's baritone: a celebration of Johann Michael Vogl at Wigmore Hall, singing a wide selection of the songs of Schubert's that Vogl sang and that Schubert wrote for him.

Schubert first encountered Vogl in 1813 when he heard the baritone as Orestes in Gluck's Iphigenie auf Tauris (just eight years before Berlioz's first encounter with Gluck's operas at the Paris Opera had such a stirring effect on him). The following year, in 1814, when Vogl sang the role of Pizarro at the premiere of the final version of Beethoven's Fidelio, it is said that the 17-year-old Schubert actually sold his schoolbooks in order to afford a ticket. And it would be Vogl who was responsible for introducing Anna Milder (Leonora in Fidelio, and a notable Iphigenie in Berlin and Vienna) to Schubert and she would go on to commission Schubert's Der Hirt auf dem Felsen.

The teenage Schubert's admiration for Vogl came to nothing at first, until friends (Schober, Spaun and Siboni) managed to arrange a meeting in 1817 when Vogl was reportedly haughty. However, bear in mind that Schubert was all of 20 whilst Vogl was 49 and already coming to the end of a highly celebrated career. But Vogl tried out some of Schubert's songs including Augenlied, Ganymed and Memnon.

Newby and Middleton arranged their recital chronologically, so it was these three songs we heard first: Vogl's first encounter with Schubert's music. Newby sang Augenlied with poise, bringing out the underlying joy. In Ganymed the emotion and dramatic context really came out, and despite the urgent excitement at the end, Newby's sense of line and poise was undimmed. Memnon was dark and serious, complex drama. In his admirable programme note Richard Stokes suggested that Schubert's concentration on Greek and Latin subjects was related to Vogl's interest in Ancient Greece and Rome. Also, Vogl's strength was dramatic recitative, and this also affected the songs.

Vogl made more visits and learned more songs. He gave the first public performance of Der Erlkönig. Reflecting this period we heard Der Kampf, Der Wanderer and Erlkönig. Der Kampf was vivid and emphatic with a sense of drama. Here and elsewhere, Newby emphasised the drama with real histrionic elan, body movement contributing to his sense of expression. Der Wanderer moved from interior melancholy to excitement and back again, whilst Erlkönig became a telling piece of drama. Though Newby emphasised the different character's voices, including a scary yet seductive Erlkönig we thankfully did not get any funny voices.

The first half ended with a group of Schubert's first publications, reflecting the time when he and Vogl were getting to know each other. Heidenröslein was refreshingly robust yet engaging, Morgenlied was delightfully lighthearted, Rastlose Liebe was full of urgent vigour, whilst Am Grabe Anselmos was serious with lyric melancholy. This was one of Schubert's three songs Op. 6 that were dedicated to Vogl. We ended with Der Tod und das Mädchen, short but terrific. The first verse all urgent anxiety, the second dark and interior. Not a moment wasted.

In 1826, Vogl sang a selection of almost 30 of Schubert's songs at the house of Josef von Spaun, and Vogl would invitedSchubert to his own home. This was reflected in the Summer Schubertiade section of the evening. Nachtstück was discreetly animated, with Newby displaying a loved legato, both engaged and intent. Die Rose was deceptively simple, with Middleton's delicate piano part and the way Newby found drama in the verse. Die Einsame (The Recluse) was a fascinating song as the perky piano part combined with the way Newby's character found joy in his isolation, with Newby delivering the verse with relish. Im Abendrot lyrically beautiful, and Nacht und Träume had a quiet beauty to it.

In 1828, when Schubert presented a concert of his music at the Musikverein, Vogl sang five sings, all first performances. Die Sterne was really engaging with Newby's performance more concentrated and less histrionic. Der Kreuzzug was serious, yet Newby was really engaged with the narrative. Fischerweise had an engaging vigour to it, whilst Fragment aus dem Aeschylus brought this section to an end with some serious, dramatic recitative.

At Schubert's memorial concert on 30 January 1829, Vogl gave the first performances of Aufenthalt and Die Taubenpost from Schwanenegesang, and Newby and Middleton ended their recital with these. Aufenthalt moving from controlled to really disturbing, and Die Taubenpost relaxed and delightfully engaging. We were treated to an encore: Abendstern.

This was an imaginatively curated programme that drew together a wide and varied repertoire (22 songs in all) in a way which was illuminating and informative, yet also allowed Newby and Middleton to display their range in Schubert's songs. On this showing, I would love to hear them in a complete performance of Schwanengesang. But this was the first of Newby's residency at Wigmore Hall, so we have all manner of delights to come.

Never miss out on future posts by following us

The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

Less is more: Elena Langer's Ariadne & Purcell's Dido hit home in finely abstract productions, a real ensemble achievement from English Touring Opera - opera review
As JW3's classical music series returns for its 4th year, I chat to artistic director David Waterman - interview
Modernising Gluck: English Touring Opera's new production of Orpheus and Eurydice puts a distinctly contemporary spin on the work - opera review
Pianist Zubin Kanga asks the question 'What does it feel like to improvise with AI?' - feature
Beautifully curated: Carolyn Sampson & Joseph Middleton explore all manner of obsession in Reason in Madness at Oxford Song Festival - review
Britten in Love: Robin Tritschler & Malcolm Martineau explore the composer's emotional life through his music - concert review
Immortal Mozart: Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler & Sholto Kynoch bring a light touch to their exploration of Schubert's admiration for Mozart - review
Lived experience: Matthias Goerne & Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert's Winterreise at Oxford International Song Festival - review
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Less is more: Elena Langer's Ariadne & Purcell's Dido hit home in finely abstract productions, a real ensemble achievement from English Touring Opera

2026-10-18T10:42:05.589+01:00

Purcell: Dido & Aeneas - Michael Lafferty, Samantha Price - English Touring Opera [Photo: Richard Hubert Smith]

Elena Langer: Ariadne; Jessica Cale, Kieron-Connor Valentine, director: Anna Morrissey
Purcell: Dido & Aeneas; Samantha Price, Michael Lafferty, ISabelle Atkinson, Lydia Shariff, director Rebecca Meltzer, conductor: Alex Robinson
English Touring Opera at Hackney Empire
Reviewed 17 October 2026

Two tragic classical heroines in productions set in an abstract mythic present showcasing powerful performances from Jessica Cale and Samantha Price in productions that were a terrific ensemble achievement.

Alongside its version of Gluck's Orpheus & Eurydice [see my review], English Touring Opera (ETO) features another iconic early work as part of its autumn tour, with a double bill of Elena Langer's 2002 opera, Ariadne and Purcell's Dido & Aeneas. We caught the double bill on 17 October 2026 at the Hackney Empire. Ariadne was directed by Anna Morrisey and featured Jessica Cale as Ariadne and Kieron-Connor Valentine as Theseus. Dido & Aeneas was directed by Rebecca Meltzer and conducted by Alex Robinson. Samantha Price was Dido and Michael Lafferty was Aeneas, with an ensemble of eight singers from whom were drawn the solo roles, Isabelle Atkinson (Belinda/First Witch), Alexandra Meier (Second Woman, Second Witch), Lydia Shariff (Sorceress), Kieron-Connor Valentine (Spirit), Guy Elliott (Sailor), Binny-Supin Yang, Daniel Gray, Jonathan Eyers, and Peter Lidbetter. Designs for both operas were by Alex Berry with lighting by Joseph Hornsby.

Elena Langer wrote Ariadne in 2002 as part of her residency at Almeida Theatre and the opera was her first collaboration with poet Glyn Maxwell. The work is essentially a mono-drama performed by Ariadne (Jessica Cale) with four musicians - Hannah Conliffe (oboe), Gary Ngan (violin), Hannah Gardiner (viola), James Heathcote (cello). The action takes place largely in Ariadne's head after she discovers Theseus's (unexplained) absence. In fact, the work forms a modern counterpart to Haydn's Arianna a Naxos.

Elena Langer: Ariadne - Jessica Cale - English Touring Opera [Photo: Richard Hubert Smith]

Morrisey and Berry set the piece in a white box with the musicians on a platform at the rear. As the piece opened, Ariadne (Jessica Cale) and Theseus (Kieron-Connor Valentine) were in bed together on another platform, then Theseus slipped silently away. Valentine's only vocal contribution was Ariadne's brief hallucination of Theseus's voice at the end. But during the first half of the piece, Valentine's Theseus was a silent presence on stage, prowling around and periodically shifting the platform on which Ariadne's bed stood. A metaphor for the way Theseus continued to occupy space in Ariadne's mind.

Cale was terrific as Ariadne, holding our attention for what is essentially a 15 to 20 minute monologue, making us understand Ariadne's distress without ever overdoing things. This was a very person, very intense performance and one that drew an arc right across the piece. Almost additional characters in the opera, the four musicians were very present throughout thanks to Langer's wonderfully vibrant and inventive music. Led by the oboe, the musicians created their own world which commented on and amplified Cale's performance.

The piece might have been relatively short but it certainly packed a punch, though it was a shame that a short instrumental work by Langer could not have been found to form an overture of sorts.

Purcell: Dido & Aeneas - English Touring Opera [Photo: Richard Hubert Smith]

After the interval we moved from mythic Naxos to mythic Carthage. There was a marked difference of approach between directors Anna Morrisey (Ariadne) and Rebecca Meltzer (Dido & Aeneas) in the double bill, and Jenny Ogilvie in the previous evening's account of Gluck's Orpheus & Eurydice. Whereas Ogilvie chose a very detailed present as the setting, Morrisey and Meltzer chose a more classically abstact setting, a sort of mythic present. When I chatted to Samantha Price about singing her first Dido she explained that 'the production is not specific to Roman mythology and they are aiming for a timeless feel. They want to present the plot as clearly as possible, particularly as there is not a lot of story' [see my interview]

Additionally, Meltzer had brought in an element of play, taking inspiration from the earliest known performance of the opera in Josiah Priest's school. Here, Berry's wonderfully detailed costumes for the ensemble managed to playfully reference this whilst remaining stylish and imaginative. The set was the white box from Ariadne with a platform in the middle and surrounded by translucent screens. A feature of the production was the way that Dido (and Aeneas) were nearly always on display, either on the platform surrounded by the ensemble or with figures lurking behind the translucent screens. This created a distinct atmosphere without every overbalancing the dramaturgy.

From the outset, the production focused not so much on establishing Carthage in detail but on the relationship between Dido and Aeneas. Price's Dido was strongly sung yet with a vein of anxiety running through her that made the character's narrative arc clear. Price allowed us to see Dido's development, and the way she allowed herself to enter the relationship with Lafferty's Aeneas. Much of Dido's role is recitative and reaction, and Price brought out the detail well, culminating in a fine account of her final scene. Here, Meltzer and Price took the view that less is more, and allowed us the benefit of a still stage.

Purcell: Dido & Aeneas - Lydia Shariff (Sorceress), Isabelle Atkinson (1st Witch), Ensemble - English Touring Opera [Photo: Richard Hubert Smith]

Aeneas is a relatively small role, but Michael Lafferty brought a sense of inner strength to it, making us understand why he might be attractive to Dido. The production introduced instrumental music from Purcell's Diocletian after their first scene together which allowed them to develop the relationship more. This focus on Dido and Aeneas helped the context of the opera, and Lafferty successfully suggested a character whose ability to calm and strengthen Dido was paramount.

There were strong performances from Isabelle Atkinson and Alexandra Meier as Belinda and the Second Woman. These were slyly demanding of Price's Dido, not setting her apart. All this was in the context of the ensemble playing the Carthage court as one full of those demanding, with plenty of vivid movement. The ensembles were somewhat disturbing, suggesting that problems that Carthage was facing rather than bland classicism.

The ensemble turned into witches via the simple addition of dark glasses, a ruse which was surprisingly effective. It helped that Lydia Shariff was a terrific Sorceress, rich of voice and threatening without resorting to silly voices. This was a character who effortlessly assumed command, aided by Atkinson and Meier as First and Second Witch. Kieron-Connor Valentine was the rather put-upon spirit.

Purcell: Dido & Aeneas - Samantha Price - English Touring Opera [Photo: Richard Hubert Smith]

Guy Elliott made a charming sailor in the context of a scene where the men of the ensemble threw off their clothes (down to vests and boxer-shorts) ran amok, ending up showering in an excess of exuberance at their delight at leaving Carthage. There was no sailors' dance, but plenty of movement.

Rebecca Meltzer is a movement director as well as director. She impressed last year with her production of Handel's Semele for Waterperry Opera Festival [see my review]. In Dido & Aeneas I enjoyed the way she never shied away from dance and movement in the production. We didn't have a lot of formal choreography, but her approach respected the way dance is threaded through Purcell's music. And she took advantage of this to deepen our understanding of the characters via movement.

The hard-working ensemble were rarely off stage and this really was an all-singing all-dancing performance. All eight were wonderfully engaging whether being rather intimidating courtiers or disturbing witches (without out an exaggeration or caricature).

Purcell: Dido & Aeneas - Samantha Price, Michael Lafferty - English Touring Opera [Photo: Richard Hubert Smith]

In the pit, Alex Robinson drew a fine performance from the band, allowing the vivid dance moments in Purcell's score to colour the music. As ever, in a theatre the size of the Hackney Empire, the continuo (harpsichord and theorbo) felt somewhat underpowered. Also some of Robinson's speeds felt rather slow, and the whole opening scene could have done with moving on. As it was, Samantha Price particularly impressed with the way she was able to work the dialogue at such a slow pace.

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Elsewhere on this blog

As JW3's classical music series returns for its 4th year, I chat to artistic director David Waterman - interview
Modernising Gluck: English Touring Opera's new production of Orpheus and Eurydice puts a distinctly contemporary spin on the work - opera review
Pianist Zubin Kanga asks the question 'What does it feel like to improvise with AI?' - feature
Beautifully curated: Carolyn Sampson & Joseph Middleton explore all manner of obsession in Reason in Madness at Oxford Song Festival - review
Britten in Love: Robin Tritschler & Malcolm Martineau explore the composer's emotional life through his music - concert review
Immortal Mozart: Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler & Sholto Kynoch bring a light touch to their exploration of Schubert's admiration for Mozart - review
Lived experience: Matthias Goerne & Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert's Winterreise at Oxford International Song Festival - review
Words & music: at Oxford International Song Festival's opening weekend academics & performers combine for Defining Love - concert review
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As JW3's classical music series returns for its 4th year, I chat to artistic director David Waterman

2026-10-17T11:24:17.441+01:00

JW3

JW3, also known as Jewish Community Centre London, is an arts, culture and entertainment venue, an educational facility and a social and community hub in north London. It is located at 341–351 Finchley Road, London, and opened on 29 September 2013. Describing itself as "a new postcode for Jewish life", the venue's name is a wordplay on its postal address, situated in the NW3 postcode area.

Whilst this year the centre celebrates its 13th birthday, their classical music concert series returned for its four year with a season opened by Russian-Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg on 30 September 2026. The curator of JW3's classical music series is cellist David Waterman, one of the founder members of the Endellion Quartet. David explains that his brief was for a high-quality classical music series. There is no particular emphasis on Jewish artists or Jewish composers, it is the high quality that counts.

Depending on the line-up of performers, JW3's recital hall seats up to 250 people. It is an intimate space, where people can see clearly wherever they sit, and all feel near the action. The atmosphere is intimate and friendly, with an audience that is often local. David describes the audience as listening extremely well, and being very enthusiastic. David plays in around half of the concerts each season and introduces the others. He enjoys meeting the audience, and finds that artists enjoy playing there.

Having started the season with Boris Giltburg playing to a capacity audience, they follow with Schubert's Trout Quintet on 28 October. The ensemble is led by Russian Vietnamese violinist Aylen Pritchin about whom David is extremely enthusiastic, describing him as a very special performer; the two have performed together at Wigmore Hall and at Prussia Cove. Previous seasons at JW3 have featured a lot of Schubert, music that David calls moving and tragic whereas he sees the Trout Quintet as utterly joyful and festive. Also in the programme is Beethoven's String Trio in G Op 9 no 1. David feels this is as good as any of the quartets. It is full of joy and charm, and certainly not played enough. The programme is completed by another fun piece, Saint-Saëns' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso for violin and piano which will give Aylen Pritchin a chance to shine. It is a programme that David hopes will send people home with a smile.

Then coming up on 17 November the Greek-Albanian violinist Jonian Ilias Kadesha, whom David describes as extraordinary and erudite, is joined by his wife, cellist Vashti Hunter and London-based Israeli pianist Noam Greenberg for an evening of duos and trios. The music includes Martinu's Duo no. 2 for violin and cello, Debussy's Sonata for Violin and Piano and Beethoven's Variations for cello and piano on Bei Männern from Mozart’s Magic Flute, plus piano trios from Haydn and Schumann, though the latter is the Phantasiestücke.

There are three more concerts after Christmas starting with the Aviv Quartet in Haydn, Mendelssohn and Beethoven in January 2027.

The concerts to well for audiences though David admits that occasionally a concert will surprise them and not do as well as expected. Based on his experience with the Endellion Quartet he feels that things go in fashions so the sometimes lieder or string quartets do well, and sometimes not. As a promoter he feels you have to believe in what you are doing and persist, though sometimes you cannot fight the trend. It is a tricky balance. Whilst not going bankrupt, you need a level of performance and programming that your core audience might expect. He admits that it would be easy enough to create a series that would sell out but which he would be totally uninterested in attending himself! And that is not the way he wants to go.

Full details from the JW3 website.

Never miss out on future posts by following us

The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

Modernising Gluck: English Touring Opera's new production of Orpheus and Eurydice puts a distinctly contemporary spin on the work - opera review
Pianist Zubin Kanga asks the question 'What does it feel like to improvise with AI?' - feature
Beautifully curated: Carolyn Sampson & Joseph Middleton explore all manner of obsession in Reason in Madness at Oxford Song Festival - review
Britten in Love: Robin Tritschler & Malcolm Martineau explore the composer's emotional life through his music - concert review
Immortal Mozart: Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler & Sholto Kynoch bring a light touch to their exploration of Schubert's admiration for Mozart - review
Lived experience: Matthias Goerne & Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert's Winterreise at Oxford International Song Festival - review
Words & music: at Oxford International Song Festival's opening weekend academics & performers combine for Defining Love - concert review
Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
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Modernising Gluck: English Touring Opera's new production of Orpheus and Eurydice puts a distinctly contemporary spin on the work

2026-10-17T10:46:31.619+01:00

Gluck: Orpheus & Eurydice (Dance of the Blessed Spirits) - Louis T Partridge & Angus Bartlett - English Touring Opera [Photo: © Richard Hubert Smith]

Gluck/Leo Grant: Orpheus and Eurydice; William Morgan, Galina Averina, Rosie Lomas, director: Jenny Ogilvie, conductor: Iwan Davies; English Touring Opera at Hackney Empire

Bravely essaying the Paris version of Gluck's masterwork, ETO combine a modern tenor hero with composer Leo Grant's interventions to higlight the more emotional intensity of the work in an anti-mythic production that remained curiously sterile visually

At the Paris Opera, opera scores were not stable entities and often underwent subsequent transformations. Lully's operas remained in the repertoire for around a century after his death (in 1687) thanks to the fact that at each revival much of the music was recomposed to suit contemporary tastes. [Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel recorded Louis-Joseph Francoeur's 1778 version of Lully's Armide in 2019, see my review].

And then in 1824 there were plans for the young tenor Adolphe Nourrit (1802-1839) to sing the role of Orphée in Gluck's opera Orphée et Eurydice, which was created for the Paris Opera in 1774 with a high-tenor in the role of Orphée. Nourrit had made his operatic debut in 1821 as Pylade in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride (written for the Paris Opera in 1779). This 1821 performance would have a profound effect on the young Berlioz. Nourrit would go on to create the principal tenor roles in all of Rossini's French operas, as well as Halévy's La Juive (1835), and Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots (1836).

In 1824, it was quite obvious that a leading young tenor should sing the role of Orphée. The problem was that the role was too high for Nourrit and transpositions had to be made. This wasn't Nourrit's fault. Roles written for the haut-contre sit high in the tenor register with occasional excursions to the top of the range. Unfortunately for Nourrit, the pitch level in Paris had been rising. Pitch had been a constant battlefield between singers and instrumentalists, with rising pitch often coming about because of the desire for a brighter tone. The end result was the creation of Berlioz's version of Orphée et Eurydice combining the French and Viennese versions into a new synthesis for female mezzo-soprano. Thus was the modern Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice born! [see my article, 'Berlioz and the creation of Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice as a 19th century masterpiece']

For their new production of Gluck's Orpheus and Eurydice, English Touring Opera (ETO) have leaned into this tradition. The version used is based in Gluck's 1774 Paris version in a new English translation by George Robarts. The title role has been adjusted for a modern tenor (William Morgan), and the work re-orchestrated for smaller orchestra by Leo Grant. But Grant has gone beyond this, adding his own additional music and electronics. The production opened in Sheffield on 10 October and we caught the performance on 16 October at Hackney Empire. Gluck's Orpheus and Eurydice in a new version by Leo Grant was directed by Jenny Ogilvie and conducted by Iwan Davies. William Morgan was Orpheus, Galina Averina was Eurydice and Rosie Lomas was Amor with ensemble of Isabelle Atkinson, Alexandra Meier, Guy Elliott and Jonathan Eyer, and dancers Angus Bartlett and Louis T Partridge. Designs were by Noemi Daboczi.

Gluck: Orpheus & Eurydice - English Touring Opera [Photo: Richard Hubert Smith]

Director Jenny Ogilvie and designer Noemi Daboczi took a deliberately anti-mythic view of the opera. The set for the opening scene was an office, complete with a glass booth (downstage left) for meetings and another glass booth (upstage right) as a cafe/break room, and there was a lift (of course). Costumes were modern and Orpheus's opening scene was a sort of mini-breakdown at work. The office remained the basic set for the whole opera. The rear glass booth could become translucent and was used for video (with some apparently live), and the Elysian Fields were distinctly austere and sterile. The inhabitants of the Elysian Fields were all female (the male members of the chorus in creditable drag). Then when Orpheus finally encountered Eurydice there, the set recreated what we presumed was their sitting room back on Earth. Ogilvie made their crucial and terrible scene together into something resembling a domestic dispute. The ending returned us to the office of the opening, with Eurydice appearing and we ended with Orpheus's consternation, to one of Grant's interventions which ended the opera on an element of questioning. All of Gluck's celebratory music and dance at the end was cut.

Dance is an important element in the opera, and in fact when Gluck expanded the Vienna version into one for Paris it was the dance elements that he mainly worked on. There were two dancers in this production and for the Dance of the Blessed Spirits (one of Gluck's Parisian additions) Angus Bartlett and Louis T Partridge gave us a superb pas de deux of their own devising. It was heartening to see modern dance for two men based around lifts, and this scene was one of the most memorable in the opera. Unfortunately, the two dancers were under-used in the remainder of the opera. The Dance of the Furies was notable for lacking any dance element, whilst the opening of Act Two, scene two was simply as an entracte after the interval. This lack of dance in French opera is a worrying trend amongst modern productions.

Translator George Robarts is a baritone who was Luiz in ETO's production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Gondoliers earlier this year [see my review], and his translation of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is being used this month by Oxford Opera. His translation of Orpheus and Eurydice had a practical feel to it, with the language rather too down to earth. My biggest gripe was his use of the English pronouciation of Eurydice (stress on 'ri') as apposed to the Italian or French (stress on 'di') and each time William Morgan's Orpheus articulated his beloved's name it felt uncomfortable and awkward to my ears.

When ETO produced Rameau's Dardanus in 2017 they used a tenor (Anthony Gregory) whose modern technique was close to the haut-contre [see my review]. William Morgan gave a terrific performance as the Male Chorus in ETO's production of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia last year [see my review]. However his technique is distinctly modern and he brought a high-tension intensity to the role, particularly in the upper reaches of the voice, which seemed at odds to the beautiful simplicity of Gluck's music. Certainly Morgan gave a fine theatrical performance, inhabiting Orpheus's grief with real directness and power, yet too often the sound world seemed to wrench the opera into a modern form.

Galina Averina made a robust and sparky Eurydice, very much a modern woman who gave as good as she got in the crucial scene with Morgan's Orpheus. The result was undoubtedly dramatic and as a piece of kitchen-sink drama worked well, but the scene between the two lacked the classical poise and gut-wrenching elements that come from the best accounts of this music. Rosie Lomas was a lively and perky Amo.

The hard-working chorus of four did everything asked of them, this was definitely and all singing, all moving production and the singers were on-stage a lot. Vocally they made a poised group and their sound quality in the choruses made up for a disappointment in the theatrical choices made. In the pit, Iwan Davies drew finely supportive performances from his musicians.

And Leo Grant's contribution? Well, his re-orchestration of Gluck's original was discreet and did not intrude. However his modern interventions rather wrenched the music and I found the transitions from Gluck to Gluck/Grant rather disturbing. Grant had largely kept the original vocal lines which meant we sometimes heard music that seemed at odds with the voices. In some ways, Grant's work did not go far enough and I think that allowing him to do a wholesale revision of the opera might have worked better. That said, friends in the audience thought Grant's contributions were terrific.

Gluck: Orpheus & Eurydice (Dance of the Blessed Spirits) - Louis T Partridge & Angus Bartlett - English Touring Opera [Photo: © Richard Hubert Smith]

This was a deliberate modernisation of Gluck's French original. There was little sense of trying to recreate the Paris version for modern audiences, instead we were given a contemporary reworking that involved a modern tenor and musical interventions that were intended to higlight the emotional intensity in a way that would have been foreign to Gluck.

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The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

Pianist Zubin Kanga asks the question 'What does it feel like to improvise with AI?' - feature
Beautifully curated: Carolyn Sampson & Joseph Middleton explore all manner of obsession in Reason in Madness at Oxford Song Festival - review
Britten in Love: Robin Tritschler & Malcolm Martineau explore the composer's emotional life through his music - concert review
Immortal Mozart: Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler & Sholto Kynoch bring a light touch to their exploration of Schubert's admiration for Mozart - review
Lived experience: Matthias Goerne & Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert's Winterreise at Oxford International Song Festival - review
Words & music: at Oxford International Song Festival's opening weekend academics & performers combine for Defining Love - concert review
Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Delight in small things: the Telekom Beethoven Competition winner, Seth Schultheis in recital at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
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Share the Stage: Massed forces from the North-East join Dinis Sousa & Royal Northern Sinfonia at The Glasshouse in Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius

2026-10-16T09:25:22.322+01:00

Dinis Sousa conducts Royal Northern Sinfonia & massed forces from the North-East in Tippett's A Child of our Time as part of The Glasshouse's Share the Stage in 2024

On Sunday 8 November 2026 at The Glasshouse in Gateshead, Dinis Sousa conducts the Royal Northern Sinfonia in Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius with soloists Benjamin Hulett, Sarah Connolly and Roderick Williams. They will be joined by hundreds of non-professional singers and instrumentalists from across the region. The concert is the third event in The Glasshouse's Share the Stage series, which brings professional and non-professional musicians together to rehearse and perform major works.

Previous Share the Stage concerts included Michael Tippett's A Child of Our Time, in 2024, and Verdi's Requiem. For The Dream of Gerontius the 300 performers on stage will include 290 passionate non-professionals between the ages of 23 and 85. Share the Stage is very much driven by Dinis Sousa's ambition to bring professional and non-professional musicians together to perform major works on the same stage. Dinis Sousa comments:

"The Dream of Gerontius is an extraordinary piece of music to perform. It moves between moments that feel incredibly intimate and these huge, overwhelming passages where the orchestra, soloists and chorus come together with enormous power.

"That makes it a wonderful piece for Share the Stage. There is something very special about bringing hundreds of people together to make this music, with Royal Northern Sinfonia and our guest soloists performing alongside singers and instrumentalists from communities across the region. Everyone on that stage has a part to play in creating the performance, and I think the scale and energy of that will be incredible to experience in Sage One."

Singers from the North-East in rehearsal for Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, 2026

On stage will be families, friends and musicians from different generations are coming together, alongside participants with very different musical experiences. Among those returning this year is 73-year-old Suzanne Shell from Morpeth, who rediscovered singing through Share the Stage in 2024 after more than 50 years away from serious singing.

Full details from The Glasshouse's website.

What does it feel like to improvise with AI?

2026-10-15T07:31:46.621+01:00

Pianist Zubin Kanga returns to the Southbank Centre on 17 October 2026 with a host of premieres in a double bill of Ghost in the Machine + After Dark: Club Cyborg. Zubin Kanga is currently based at Royal Holloway University where he is leading a £1.4m grant-funded research project 'Cyborg Soloists,' which explores AI and technology in music. [see Robert's 2024 interview with Zubin Kanga]

In advance of Zubin Kanga's premiere of George Lewis's Blombos Playground on 17 October at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London, he asks the question 'What does it feel like to improvise with AI?'

I’ve often experienced a deep connection with other musicians onstage when playing chamber music or improvising together, like we're having a musical conversation. But how does it feel to have a musical conversation with AI? Does it feel anything like playing with a human musician on stage? And what can it tell us about what makes human creativity unique? These are questions I’ve been grappling with while working with American composer George Lewis on his new work composed for human and AI keyboardists, Blombos Playground, which I’m about to premiere at the Southbank Centre in London.

While many people today think of AI art as being a recent development and associate it with the lazy production of bland results, trained via the internet through unethical means, it actually has a long and much more interesting history in experimental music, going back to the 1950s. Early developers of AI music systems never sought to replace human musicians, but instead to explore new ways for human performers to interact with musical technologies – and with each other.

George Lewis [Photo: Eileen Barroso]

George Lewis is one of these pioneers, a legendary figure in the field of human-computer interaction in music. Lewis first started exploring the use of musical machines that could independently interact with human musicians in 1979, developing into his first AI experiments in 1984 with Rainbow Family. His iconic breakthrough system, Voyager, was initially developed in 1985-87 and he continues to develop it to this day – it’s one of the two AI systems in his new piece for me, Blombos Playground. Voyager is completely different from the type of AI we’ve all become familiar with in recent years. Rather than machine learning, the system uses a set of musical rules for listening and playing that Lewis has programmed, based on his own years of experience as an improvising musician (he’s performed on trombone with many of the world’s leading improvisers since the 1970s, including Anthony Braxton, John Zorn, Derek Bailey and Evan Parker). The result of this approach is a computer program that seems to have its own personality as an improvisor. Voyager listens to the human co-performers, and sometimes follows and accompanies, but at other times pushes to the fore, like a human improvisor who senses it might be time for their ‘solo’. Over the four decades since Lewis first programmed it, he’s improved it with every new development in computing, and many of the world’s leading performers and ensembles have performed with it – from saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, to the International Contemporary Ensemble (USA), to the SWR Symphony Orchestra (Germany). It’s with Voyager’s latest developments that I enter the picture.

It’s been one of the privileges of having a career as a contemporary music performer that I’ve been able to work with the legends I learnt about as a student. As an undergraduate 20 years ago, I read articles about Lewis's AI experiments, and I've listened to many recordings of musicians playing with Voyager over the years. So it was a career highlight when Lewis said ‘yes’ to a new commission as part of my Cyborg Soloists music technology research project. Lewis’s central idea was about pushing Voyager to the next level by combining it with the Somax improvising software created by IRCAM, a renowned music research institute in Paris.

Though Voyager and Somax are both types of ‘AI’, they work completely differently. Whereas Voyager uses rule-based approaches to improvisation, Somax uses machine- learning on a set of user-provided recordings. In my case, it was trained on a couple of hours of improvisations that I sent to the IRCAM team, who then created an avatar twin, a musical doppelgänger. This new combination of the two AIs has been coined ‘SoVo’ by Lewis and his research team (Damon Holzborn at Columbia University, and Marco Fiorini and Gérard Assayag at IRCAM).

Blombos Playground puts me at the centre of a complex weaving of these two AIs. Each section provides me with scored material, drawing on musical gestures from the improvisations I had sent the team, ranging from meditative chorales to jazzy clusters to quicksilver passagework. At the end of each section, Lewis provides guidance on the many different ways of using this material to improvise with the AI co-performers. Using a MIDI keyboard, the sounds I make are as malleable as the AI’s. Sometimes we’re all using piano sounds, sometimes we’re duetting on harpsichord and celeste, and every combination of these three sounds. The spatialization of the sounds adds further layers to this musical conversation, using multiple speakers to place me and the different AIs in different corners of the room, have us chase each other about the room, or spin an AI’s sounds around me.

Although this might seem complicated and technical, in performance the duetting between the human and AI keyboardists feels visceral and immediate. There’s a logic to both the combinations of sounds and their movement around the space. The audience can sometimes hear the clear differences between human and AI, and sometimes they blend together, challenging the listener to distinguish between the real and virtual musicians.

But what does it feel like to play? For me, it feels like being inside the minds of these artificial improvisors as they interact with each other, and with me. I know that these software systems can’t think, but they seem to have personalities: Somax’s improvising persona is closer to mine (since it’s trained on my recordings), while Voyager is like a maverick free jazz improviser who’s comfortable being both an accompanist and a soloist. But they also play in a way that’s subtly different from human co-performers, and their ‘intelligence’ is unmistakably artificial and non-human. They don’t understand my intentions, and I know that these systems can’t intend or understand anything, despite seeming to have musical empathy.

The systems aren’t made to replace human performers, but to reveal to us new ways of thinking about improvisation, musical personality and musical communication. Real musicians are less virtuosic, and more fallible, but there’s a natural and deep understanding and connection when improvising with a real musician that can never be replicated. And what makes these systems interesting is not the AI technology itself, but the musical insights and choices that George Lewis and the Columbia/IRCAM team have programmed into them, using their own musical experience and instincts to create these virtual co- performers. What inspires me about Blombos Playground is that it’s pushed me to new kinds of virtuosity and made me think afresh about my own approaches to both performance and improvisation. It’s challenged my creative habits – and this artificial musical intelligence has made me a better musician.

Zubin Kanga

Zubin Kanga will perform the world premiere of Blombos Playground by George Lewis on 17 October at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London.

Never miss out on future posts by following us

The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

Beautifully curated: Carolyn Sampson & Joseph Middleton explore all manner of obsession in Reason in Madness at Oxford Song Festival - review
Britten in Love: Robin Tritschler & Malcolm Martineau explore the composer's emotional life through his music - concert review
Immortal Mozart: Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler & Sholto Kynoch bring a light touch to their exploration of Schubert's admiration for Mozart - review
Lived experience: Matthias Goerne & Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert's Winterreise at Oxford International Song Festival - review
Words & music: at Oxford International Song Festival's opening weekend academics & performers combine for Defining Love - concert review
Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Delight in small things: the Telekom Beethoven Competition winner, Seth Schultheis in recital at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
A real festival programme: varied lineups in music by Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich & Brahms at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
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Beautifully curated: Carolyn Sampson & Joseph Middleton explore all manner of obsession in Reason in Madness at Oxford International Song Festival

2026-10-14T15:13:47.504+01:00

Reason in Madness: Gösta Nystroem, Alma Schindler-Mahler, Schubert, Brahms, Schumann, Strauss, Wolf, Duparc, Koechlin, Debussy, Saint-Saens, Chausson, Poulenc; Klara Solén, George Herbert, Carolyn Sampson, Joseph Middleton; Oxford International Song Festival at Holywell Music Room
Reviewed 11 October 2026

All manner of obsession: Sampson and Middleton moved between Gretchen, Ophelia, Mignon and Bilitis with Strauss's Ophelia lieder, Wolf's Mignon and Debussy's Bilitis being particularly highlights in a beautifully curated whole

The Sunday of the first weekend of the Oxford International Song Festival (11 October 2026) was devoted to thematic recitals, albeit three vastly contrasting themes. In the morning we had Immortal Mozart [see my review], exploring Schubert's admiration for Mozart, then in the afternoon we had Britten in Love [see my review], with an interweaving of Britten's music and emotional life, and finally in the evening it was Reason in Madness.

At Holywell Music Room, soprano Carolyn Sampson and pianist Joseph Middleton presented a programme exploring obsession and just how far feelings can go. We heard songs by Schubert, Brahms, Schumann, Strauss, Wolf, Duparc, Koechlin, Debussy, Saint-Saens, Chausson and Poulenc, whilst the characters invoked included Gretchen, Ophelia, Mignon, Bilitis and Cocteau's La dame de Montecarlo.

Reason in Madness - Carolyn Sampson, Joseph Middleton - Oxford International Song Festival at Holywell Music Room
[Photo: Carolyn Sampson's Instagram]

The evening was begun by two of the Festival's Emerging Artists, mezzo-soprano Klara Solén and pianist George Herbert performing songs by Gösta Nystroem and Alma Schindler-Mahler.

Gösta Nystroem (1890-1966) studied in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Paris where his teachers included Vincent d'Indy and where he stayed several years. Solén and Herbert performed Nystroem's 1948 song cycle, På reveln (At the reef) setting texts by three different Swedish poets. The title song, 'På reveln' had evocative piano writing supporting a more direct vocal line, creating a distinct atmosphere. 'Otrolig dag' (Special day) was deceptively simple with its delicate piano writing and lyrically engaging vocal writing. 'Havet sjunger' (Singing of the sea) moved from melancholy atmosphere to rich romantic drama. The three poems each conjured a moment, and Nystroem seems to have had the ability to conjure just the right atmosphere.

The two Emerging Artists finished with Alma Schindler-Mahler's Erntelied (Harvest Song). This began conventionally enough, with an engaging melody of flowing piano but the harmonies became more complex and the drama intensified until we reach a richly late-romantic feel.

Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton began with Schubert's Gretchen am Spinnrade. Interior and controlled at first, Sampson suggested that the character's mind was elsewhere and after the climax on 'sein Kuss' she became distinctly anxious and disturbed. The programme continued with a group of songs that expanded on the girl spinning theme. Both Brahms and Schumann set the same poem by Heyse, albeit with slight differences. Brahms's Mädchen proved to be a sad little song, charmingly folk-like with a more developed piano part. Schumann's Die Spinnerin had a similarly folk-like character with some fascinating evocations of spinning in the piano.

Schumann's Herzelied (Heartache) introduced the character of Ophelia; a touching, rather haunted song with a fabulous piano part full of overlapping, drooping phrases. Brahms's Ophelia-Lieder were written for a play, for an actress to sing, though there are piano parts which largely double the voice. They are simple and direct, all charmingly folk-like. Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton performed all five, creating atmosphere and not trying to make the music more than it is.

By contrast, Richard Strauss's Drei Lieder der Ophelia are complex entities in their own right, setting German texts by the poet Karl Joseph Simrock who translated the play. 'Wie erkenn' ich mein Treulieb' (How shall I know my true love) had a complex, dazzling piano part that created a strange atmophere for Sampson's rendering of the angular vocal line moving from expressively expressionist to almost naive. 'Guten Morgen, 's ist Sankt Valentinstag' (Good morning, it's St Valentine's Day) was fast and vivid, the jagged vocal line combining with the dazzling piano to really disturb. Then in 'Sie trugen ihn auf der Bahre bloss' (They carried him naked on the bier), Middleton's eerie, restless piano and Sampson's bleached voice combined to create real atmosphere. In all three songs, Sampson's performance captured Ophelia's mania and the way her mind changed in an instant.

We then moved on to the tragic figure of Mignon from Goethe's Wilhelm Meister, a seminal work of German romanticism with Mignon proving to be a figure of great fascination despite (because of?) being the product of brother/sister incest. The first half of the programme concluded with Hugo Wolf's Mignon Lieder. 'Mignon I - Heiss’ mich nicht reden' (Bid me not speak) was bleak and rather moving with a piano part that began and ended in uncompromising fashion and was always complex. In 'Mignon II - Nur were die Sehnsucht kennt' (Only those who know longing), Middleton brought out the urgency in the piano writing whilst Sampson's performance was intense and bleak, conveying her anxiety. 'Mignon III - 'So lasst mich scheinen' (Let me appear an angel) was simply haunting. Finally 'Kennst du das Land' (Do you know the land) where the haunting narrative was intensified by the piano. When Sampson's voice rose to real intensity, Middleton's piano suggested that she was still in a semi deluded state. And when the accompaniment became overwhelming, thig Mignon was in her own world.

After the interval we moved to France, but remained with Mignon, this time Duparc's Romance de Mignon, a French version of 'Kennst du das Land'. This song had a very different atmosphere to Wolf's setting with Duparc using the harmony to heighten the atmosphere, and the throbbing piano accompaniment had a distinctly disurbing element to it. Both climaxes rose to richly romantic heights, and there was a substantial postlude.

The Belgian poet Pierre-Félix Louÿs published his 143 erotic prose poems, Les Chansons de Bilitis in 1894, claiming at first that they were translations from Ancient Greek writings by a courtesan called Bilitis! Debussy set three in his Chansons de Bilitis whilst Charles Koechlin set five in his Chansons de Bilitis. We heard Debussy's three bookended by the first and last of Koechlin's settings.

First Koechlin's 'Hymne à Astarté', an astonishing piece that combined a big piano part with a dramatic recitation that was almost an invocation, leading to a final line that was positively unrestrained!

Then came Debussy. 'La Flûte de Pan' showed just how much these songs suite Sampson. Debussy's Mélisande (a role that Sampson sang with Scottish Opera in 2017) never feels far away. In this first ssong she was quiet and interior, the line supple and flexible. Middleton's on-point classical style accompaniment contributed to the atmosphere. 'La Chevelure' is real Mélisande territory. Middleton's piano throbbed with subtle passion. Sampson brought real intensity to the music yet never quite became unbridled. Finally 'Le Tombeau des naïades', again fluid and supple, apparently effortless and a climax that seemed to say something else entirely different from the words!

The final Koechlin was 'Épitaphe de Bilitis', a rather quiet, interior piece that was more formal than Debussy's writing and with distinctly neo-classical hints.

Saint-Saens' La mort d'Ophélie took us to a French version of Gertrude's famous speech. A spinning piano line and urgent vocals combined to created a strong narrative, and with the word 'Chantant' the music became melodically engaging. Chausson's Chanson d'Ophélie took us to a French version of one of Ophelia's speeches, her rendered as simple, fluid dialogue with dark colours in the piano.

Finally a song not directly related but one where the atmosphere conjured was similar. Duparc's Au pays ou se fait la guerre, a small masterpiece rendered exquisitely here as Sampson's supple yet direct vocal line moved from discreet narrative to powerful climax.

Poulenc's La Dame de Monte-Carlo sets a text by Jean Cocteau (written as a spoken dramatic monologue). Poulenc's setting was originally written for the soprano Denise Duval and premiered in the orchestra version in 1961. Duval sang the lead in Poulenc's two operas, and he wrote La voix humaine (Cocteau, 1958), the song cycle La courte paille (1960), and La dame de Monte-Carlo, for her.

In his Journal de mes Mélodies, Poulenc wrote, "This monologue delighted me because it brought back to me the years 1923–1925 when I lived, together with Auric, in Monte Carlo, in the imperial shadow of Diaghilev [the composer was there preparing the première of his ballet Les biches]. I have often enough seen at close quarters those old wrecks of women, light-fingered ladies of the gaming tables. In all honesty I must admit that Auric and I even came across them at the pawnshop where our imprudent youth led us once or twice."

It was a rather slow-build monologue, very much bitter with just a sprinkling of sweet. I very much enjoyed the way Sampson spat out many of the words and even snarled at times. This was a bitter old woman indeed, but one focused on one thing.

There was an encore, Schubert's Abschied der Erde which is not a song but a melodrama!

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Elsewhere on this blog

Britten in Love: Robin Tritschler & Malcolm Martineau explore the composer's emotional life through his music - concert review
Immortal Mozart: Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler & Sholto Kynoch bring a light touch to their exploration of Schubert's admiration for Mozart - review
Lived experience: Matthias Goerne & Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert's Winterreise at Oxford International Song Festival - review
Words & music: at Oxford International Song Festival's opening weekend academics & performers combine for Defining Love - concert review
Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Delight in small things: the Telekom Beethoven Competition winner, Seth Schultheis in recital at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
A real festival programme: varied lineups in music by Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich & Brahms at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Still remarkably youthful himself, Chromatica Orchestra's new chief conductor Oliver Cope sees their role as developing the next generation of musical talent - interview
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Britten in Love: Robin Tritschler & Malcolm Martineau explore the composer's emotional life through his music

2026-10-14T09:33:30.914+01:00

Britten & Lennox Berkeley (Photo: https://www.lennoxberkeley.org.uk)

Britten in Love: Lennox Berkeley, Benjamin Britten; Robin Tritschler, Malcolm Martineau; Oxford International Song Festival at Holywell Music Room
Reviewed 11 October 2026

Songs from Lennox Berkeley and Benjamin Britten linking together the emotional and inimate threads of Britten's life

In 2024, tenor Robin Tritschler's disc Songs for Peter Pears [see my review] explored songs written for Peter Pears by Lennox Berkeley, Britten, Arthur Oldham, Richard Rodney Bennett and Geoffrey Bush. Now, Tritschler has taken a somewhat different look at the same time-period. On Sunday October 11 October 2026, Robin Tritschler was joined by pianist Malcolm Martineau at Holywell Music Room for Britten in Love as part of the Oxford International Song Festival.

The recital presented a sequence of songs interweaving Britten's love-life in music. The first half included songs by Lennox Berkeley (with whom Britten had a brief romantic relationship), songs setting W.H.Auden (who was a big influence on the young Britten), as well as two of Britten's Sechs Hölderlin Fragmente which hint at Britten's close friendship with Wulff Scherchen, seven years his junior. Britten would dedicate one of Les Illuminations to Wulff, and another to Pears.

The second half focused on Peter Pears, with songs from Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo (the first song cycle Britten wrote for Pears' voice) and The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, plus some of the folksong arrangements which Britten created for his and Pears' song recitals.

Lennox Berkeley was in fact the first composer to set W.H.Auden's poetry and he returned to it in the 1950s for his Five Poems of W.H.Auden. The recital began with 'Lauds' from this cycle, with its constant flow of both text and piano accompanied. The poem piles detail upon detail and Berkeley follows this, but ends with the voice unaccompanied in touching manner.

Next came the first of the Sechs Hölderlin Fragmente (written in 1945 and dedicated to Prince Louis of Hesse), 'Sokrates und Alcibiades', a fragment about the importance of beauty. For the first verse the piano was barely there, with a dramatic yet elaborate vocal line creating something rather austere. Yet in the second verse, Socrates response to Alcibiades, things were more conventional yet the ending was touching.

W.H.Auden, Sir William Menzies Coldstream, Britten when working at GPO Film Unit
Photo from Alina Stefanescu

Britten first met Auden at the GPO Film Unit in 1935 and the two would have six years of productive collaboration. Personally, Auden's far greater confidence in his own homosexuality had an influence on the younger Britten. Fish in the unruffled lakes dates from 1938, with its fine rippling piano part and spiky rhythms in the voice, it can disguise the complexities of Auden's lyrics. It is worth bearing in mind that Britten mainly set Auden's pre-existing poetry. Here, Tritschler gave a vivid projection of word and meaning, with the mood turning darker and then finally magic happens at the end. Also from 1937, Seascape (from On this Island) had vivid, almost declamatory vocal line with Tritschler's involving projection of the words creating some fine storytelling.

On this Island had a somewhat flexible structure, with a second set of songs projected. Amongst these were Underneath the abject willow and To lie flat on the back. The first came over as a somewhat spiky popular song, which Tritschler and Martineau took at quick a lick creating a virtuoso feel to it. The second song was equally spiky, more recitative-like. This poem, in particular, was remarkably queer-coded and makes for fascinating listening, given the time-period. However, there is a sense that the combination of Auden's words and Britten's prodigious genius created a partnership that was almost too clever for its own good.

We returned to Berkeley with more of his Auden settings. First 'What's in Your Mind, My Dove, My Coney' from his Op. 53 set. Less spiky than Britten's settings, the song relied on an easy, neoclassical piano part and words being projected via lyric arioso. Lay your sleeping head my love goes back to 1927, this early Auden setting, with its rocking piano part, was a sort of lullaby which Berkeley made touching despite the rather disturbing words. Like 'Lauds' it relied on the piling on of detail upon detail.

Britten's 'Die Jugend' from the Sechs Hölderlin Fragmente was lively and full of rhythmic detail. It's eager impetuosity rather in contrast to the emotional tenor of the song.

Night covers up the rigid land returned us to Berkeley setting Auden in 1927. This was a quiet piece, intense and rather expressionistic. Berkeley's Five Housman Songs were written in 1940, just after Britten and Berkeley had parted company as Britten chose Pears. Given that Berkeley wrote the songs for Britten and Pears, and that he chose some of Housman's later, more explicitly homosexual lyrics, it is not surprising that the songs went into a drawer, only to be resurrected 35 years later when Pears gave the manuscript to Peter Dickinson and Ian Partridge for performance. We heard two songs, 'He would not stay for me' and 'Because I liked you better'. Both were bleak, expressionist and intense. Terrific songs that are a long way from Butterworth-style settings of Housman.

Britten's 'Nocturne' comes from his Auden song-cycle On this Island. It was quiet with Tritschler's seductive line being mesmerising, until things got darker in the last verse when the words were very pointed indeed - 'Calmly till the orning break/ Let him lie, then gently wake'. And you marvel again at how queer-coded all this material was.

We ended with one of the cabaret songs. Now here, Britten was setting an Auden text specifically created for being set to music. Neither man seemed to be quite performing in the way the more serious songs made them. The result is more direct and more engaging, clever without being 'clever'. Tritschler took the words of Tell me the truth about love rather seriously and the result was very funny indeed, without any need to send up the music.

After the interval we moved to the 1940s, when Britten was writing songs for Peter Pears. We began, however, still in 1937 when Britten set a text by the poet Peter Burra who had been at Lancing College with Pears. It was Burra’s tragic early death in an aeroplane accident in April 1937 that brought Britten and Pears into a closer relationship. The song, Not even summer yet, began in an unassuming manner yet became more complex and spikier with a final verse that was very intense.

The Holy Sonnets of John Donne were completed on 19 August 1945, a few weeks after Britten’s return from Germany where he and Yehudi Menuhin had toured the liberated Nazi Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the end of July. The first we heard was 'Batter my heart' where the fast speed meant the words cascaded over each other with bright intensity. The songs virtuosic nature demonstrating Britten's confidence in Pears' technical abilities. However in this and the second Donne setting we heard, the sheer density of syllables meant that even Tritschler's fine diction failed to convey all the meaning.

The Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo are earlier, dating from Britten and Pears' exile in the USA. Here Britten felt freed from artistic restraint and absorbed other influences. There is something uncompromising about the Michelangelo settings, as well as a sort of rapprochment with bel canto (a reflection of Pears' voice perhaps). Sonetto XXXI was intense. The music felt as if it was swaying whilst Tritschler and Martineau's performance was compelling.

Another Donne setting, 'Oh, to vex me, contraryes meet in one' again produced a cascade of words and notes, in a vivid performance carry all away. Michelangelo's Sonetto XXXII was vivid chattering, creating something impetuous and urgent. The final song in this group was another Donne setting, 'Since she whom I love hath pay her last debt' where the relatively slow intense vocal line over a simple piano accompaniment created a rather romantic effect, building slowly to overwhelming intensity.

We ended with a selection of Britten's folksong arrangements. The majority of the folksong arrangements were completed well before the War Requiem and thus come from that period in his life effectively bounded by his American sojourn, Peter Grimes and the War Requiem (1962), with the majority being written for him and Pears to perform.

The Ash Grove was a quiet, unassuming piece of storytelling. Down by the Salley Gardens was quiet and serious, gradually becoming more intense. The Foggy Foggy Dew was a masterly piece of storytelling, with Tritschler being unassuming byt rather funny. The Miller of Dee had a rather vivid and very demonstrative piano part, and then O Waly, Waly was quiet and rather mesmerising.

There was an encore, on of Britten's realisations of Purcell, Music for while.

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Elsewhere on this blog

Immortal Mozart: Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler & Sholto Kynoch bring a light touch to their exploration of Schubert's admiration for Mozart - review
Lived experience: Matthias Goerne & Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert's Winterreise at Oxford International Song Festival - review
Words & music: at Oxford International Song Festival's opening weekend academics & performers combine for Defining Love - concert review
Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Delight in small things: the Telekom Beethoven Competition winner, Seth Schultheis in recital at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
A real festival programme: varied lineups in music by Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich & Brahms at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Still remarkably youthful himself, Chromatica Orchestra's new chief conductor Oliver Cope sees their role as developing the next generation of musical talent - interview
Music in anxious times: Hatfield House Music Festival opens with a captivating evening of music from the time the house first opened - review
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Immortal Mozart: Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler & Sholto Kynoch bring a light touch to their exploration of Schubert's admiration for Mozart

2026-10-14T08:37:30.685+01:00

Schubert's diary in 1816

Immortal Mozart: Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Salieri; Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler, Sholto Kynoch; Oxford International Song Festival at Garsington Studios
Reviewed 11 October 2026

Inspired by Schubert's admiration of Mozart, a playful yet informed interweaving of their music to create a delightful recital with a distinctly dramatic feel to it

Schubert had great admiration for Mozart and age 19 would write in his diary, "O Mozart! immortal Mozart! what countless impressions of a brighter, better life hast thou stamped upon our souls." It is this quotation which is behind pianist Sholto Kynoch, soprano Katharina Ruckgaber and baritone Martin Häßler's programme Immortal Mozart. This playful intermingling of music by Mozart and by Schubert was presented at Garsington Studios, Garsington Opera's performing arts hub - a purpose-built complex of studios, meeting rooms and ancillary spaces - as part of Oxford International Song Festival.

Both composers were Masons and both shared a similar taste in poets. The programme included both setting Goethe and both setting Ludwig Hölty. Other fascinating links include Schubert's duet Misero pargoletto, setting Metastasio and written whilst Schubert was studying with Salieri. In the first version of the duet (which we did not hear), Schubert includes an almost direct quote from the aria 'Ach ich fühl's' from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Die Zauberflöte threaded its way through the programme as the second half included two of Pamina and Papageno's duets, whilst in the first half Don Giovanni made an appearance too.

Immortal Mozart: Sholto Kynoch, Katharina Ruckgaber, Martin Häßler (Photo: Martin Häßler's Instagram)

Both singers sang from memory and whilst there was no overall dramatic thread, there was an element of staging with one singer reacting to another, and some songs seemingly in response to something said earlier. It was all done with a light touch, yet it was clear that much thought, research and love had gone into the programme.

We began with a duet by Haydn, Saper vorrei se m'ami (and Salieri's setting of the same text opened the second half). Haydn's duet had a distinctly classical feel to it. Yet though the two singers treated the techncical aspects with all seriousness, there was an element of comedy too with two disputing lovers.

Häßler followed his characterful and stylish account of Mozart's An Chloe with a rather straight, almost classical performance of Schubert's Gott im Frühlinge. Ruckgabe's light yet stylish account of 'Ach ich fühl's' had a focused intensity to that was rather moving. This led directly into Schubert's duet Misero pargoletto which was inspired by it. It was quite a strong piece, definitely Schubert in operatic mode and the two singers brought an element of drama to their performance.

Häßler then sang a pair of instrument-inspired songs. First Mozart's Komm lieber Zither, a charming piece with zither inspired zither-eque piano accompaniment. Then Schubert's An die Laute with it's lute-ish piano creating a sense of an intimate serenade. This was followed with another serenade with a lute, this time 'Deh, vieni all finestra' from Mozart's Don Giovanni where Ruckgaber was now on the balcony with Häßler serenading her from below. Then the two sang 'La ci darem la mano', he commanding and knowing, she charming but full of anxiety and aware of temptation. Her response, after both dash off together, was Mozart's Der Zauberer which fitted the dramatic situation wonderfully and really did evoke the regretful Zerlina!

The first half ended with Schubert's Vier Refrainlieder setting texts by Seidl. These were published as a set and each has a telling refrain. I immediately assumed they were early Schubert, but they are late coming around the same time as Winterreise and rather confounding our view of 'late Schubert'. The four songs worked well as a dramatic group. In 'Die Unterscheidung' Ruckgaber was denying, with much charm, that she loved the young man, Hans. Then 'Bei dir allein' was Hassler's response, played quite straight with busy piano and controlled vocal line. In 'Die Männer sind méchant', Ruckgaber was now complaining, in vivid fashion, about him along with a wonderfully spat out refrain. Then the two reconciled, again with charm and classical poise, in 'Irdisches Glück'.

Part two opened with Salieri's duet Saper vorrei se m'ami, this time more straight, more Italian opera with distinctly Mozartian echoes.

Ruckgaber brought great charm to Schubert's Selighkeit with Kynoch enjoying the insouciant piano writing. Then setting the same poet (Hölty) we had Mozart's Das Traumbild where Ruckgaber was quiet, intimate and controlled. She continued with Mozart's Abendempfindung (which we heard the previous afternoon), here quiet and intimate with finely long phrases. Continuing the evening theme, Häßler sang Schubert's Abendbilder with an unassuming sober feel. The two made a wonderfully inward duet of Schubert's Litanei auf das Fest Aller Seelen.

We then turned to flowers. First Mozart's Das Veilchen (violet) setting Goethe with Häßler full of character and story-telling charm. Then Ruckgaber sang Schubert's Hedenroslein (wild rose), also setting Goethe, with deceptive simplicity.

We turned back to Die Zauberflöte with Pamino and Papageno's duet 'Könnte jeder brave Mann', short and serious but charming followed by Häßler's account of 'Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja'. He played it quite straight but brought plenty of character to the piece giving a sense of his being self-satisfied. Continuing this mood, we heard Schubert's Der Fischer in a version by the baritone Johann Michael Vogl who adjusted it to be a bit closer to Papageno's aria. And we ended with Pamina and Papageno's duet 'Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen', sung quite straight but with bags of charm.

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Elsewhere on this blog

Lived experience: Matthias Goerne & Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert's Winterreise at Oxford International Song Festival - review
Words & music: at Oxford International Song Festival's opening weekend academics & performers combine for Defining Love - concert review
Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Delight in small things: the Telekom Beethoven Competition winner, Seth Schultheis in recital at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
A real festival programme: varied lineups in music by Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich & Brahms at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Still remarkably youthful himself, Chromatica Orchestra's new chief conductor Oliver Cope sees their role as developing the next generation of musical talent - interview
Music in anxious times: Hatfield House Music Festival opens with a captivating evening of music from the time the house first opened - review
A sustained & compelling sense of atmosphere: Alex Mills & Anna Blom's Reverence at Brompton Cemetery Chapel - review
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Lived experience: Matthias Goerne & Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert's Winterreise at Oxford International Song Festival

2026-10-13T11:43:38.092+01:00

Tamara Stefanovich, Matthias Goerne at Salzburg Easter Festival in 2025 [Photo: SF/Marco Borrelli]

Schubert: Winterreise; Matthias Goerne, Tamara Stevanovich; Oxford International Song Festival at Olivier Hall, St Edward's School
Reviewed 10 October 2026

The further along the journey, the harder the going: Matthias Goerne makes Winterreise a remarkable piece of lived experience bringing a lifetime's work to the role

It is nearly 30 years since Matthias Goerne made his debut at the Salzburg Festival with Papageno in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in 1997, and nearly 25 years since his compelling account of the title role in Berg's Wozzeck at Covent Garden (in 2002, the one with the glass tanks!). Much water (and Wagner) has gone under the bridge since then.

So it was with great interest that a capacity audience gathered at the Olivier Hall at St Edward's School in Oxford on Saturday 10 October 2026 for baritone Mattias Goerne and pianist Tamara Stefanovich's performance of Schubert's Winterreise at the opening weekend of the Oxford International Song Festival. The event was also Goerne's debut at the festival (amazingly!)

The concert was giving with subtitles which is a relatively new innovation at the festival. These help prevent the audience from spending the duration with their heads in copies, but in song like Schubert's where text is repeated and the flow adjusted, you sometimes miss the wider textual context of a line.

Goerne sang from memory and the entire concert was a remarkable physical embodiment, his expressive physical language becoming as important as his vocal. From the first notes it was clear that Goerne's expressive legato was limited but his vibrato gave the voice a remarkable fragility. This combined with his restless body language created the structure of his Winterreise.

'Gute Nacht' was not too fast but full of anxiety and melancholy. Then in 'Die Wetterfahne', Stefanovich's uncompromising piano combined with Goerne's dark tone to create a sense of vivid anger. As the cycle developed there was also the suggestion of delusion, were the poet's experiences real or imagined? But whichever, for Goerne they were lived experience.

Dark and depressive, in 'Erstarrung' the voice became high tension. The poet seemed out of himself, right on the edge. For all Stefanovich's transparent piano, 'Der Lindenbaum' was not the calm way-point it can be but a highlight of the poet's increasing delusion. He seemed somewhere else entirely, so 'Auf dem Flusse' felt like a popula song sung to himself. Goerne's tendency not to look at the audience heightened to feeling this man was disturbed. By 'Irrlicht' and 'Rast' things had become deep and dark, whilst 'Frühlingstraum ' felt definitely in the poet's head.

There were moments of story telling, such as 'Die Krähe ', but for much of the second half we were not so much on a journey as exploring a profoundly disturbed destination. 'Im Dorfe' had a remarkable physical enactment of the story from Goerne. By 'Der Wegweiser' the words 'travel a road from which no man returned' seemed to resonate profoundly with this poet's experience. 'Das Wirtshaus' was remarkably slow and quiet, the result surprisingly magical, contrasting with the vigour of 'Mut'.

'Die Nebensonnen' showed Goerne's poet at the end of his tether and Goerne really stretched out the end. Throughout the second half of the cycle I was aware of Goerne and Stevanovich using rubato to expressive purposes. Speeds were not slow, per se, but there was a lot of space, this was a remarkably long Winterreise. The further along the journey, the harder the going and by the time we reached Der Leierman never have I been so glad to have reached our destination. Except for this poet, Goerne seemed to suggest that this was no end and he was doomed to wander in his delusion.

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The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

Words & music: at Oxford International Song Festival's opening weekend academics & performers combine for Defining Love - concert review
Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Delight in small things: the Telekom Beethoven Competition winner, Seth Schultheis in recital at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
A real festival programme: varied lineups in music by Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich & Brahms at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Still remarkably youthful himself, Chromatica Orchestra's new chief conductor Oliver Cope sees their role as developing the next generation of musical talent - interview
Music in anxious times: Hatfield House Music Festival opens with a captivating evening of music from the time the house first opened - review
A sustained & compelling sense of atmosphere: Alex Mills & Anna Blom's Reverence at Brompton Cemetery Chapel - review
When Does Georgian Music Stop Being “Georgian Music”? Cellist Sandro Sidamonidze on a musical culture across borders - guest posting
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Words & music: at Oxford International Song Festival's opening weekend academics & performers combine for Defining Love

2026-10-13T10:47:18.919+01:00

Defining Love
Emily Pillinger, Stephanie Oade, Fiona Macintosh, Elenora Pertz, Valerie Eickhoff
Holywell Music Room, Oxford International Song Festival

Defining Love: Satie, Schindler-Mahler, Britten, Schumann, Korngold, Faure, Schubert, Strauss, Mozart, Rodgers & Hart; Valerie Eickhoff, Elenora Pertz, Fiona Macintosh, Stephanie Oade, Emily Pillinger; Oxford International Song Festival at Holywell Music Room
Reviewed 10 October 2026

A colloquium on approaches to love in Ancient Greece combined with a delightful mix of songs expressing the subject to create and intriguing mix of words and music

This year's Oxford International Song Festival has the theme of Love Songs, and the subject of love was to the fore in the afternoon event on the first Saturday of the festival, 10 October 2026, at Holywell Music Room. Defining Love combined a colloquium between three academics, Fiona Macintosh, Stephanie Oade and Emily Pillinger - Fiona Mackintosh is Emeritus Professor of Classical Reception, at Oxford Stephanie Oade is an academic, teacher and former professional cellist, Emily Pillinger is Reader in Classics and Interdisciplinary Humanities at King's College London

We heard songs by Saties, Alma Schindler-Mahler, Britten, Schumann, Korngold, Faure, Schubert, Strauss, Mozart and Rodgers & Hart performed by mezzo-soprano Valerie Eickhoff and pianist Elenora Pertz.

We began with song, a delightful account of Satie's Je te veux with Eickhoff's fragile yet plangent line combining with Pertz's subtle piano to create a real sense of dance.

The sung programme was divided according to the various Greek types of love - Eros, Storge, Pragma, Mania, Philia and Ludus Philautia. These would each be discussed but first our speakers made some general points. Western art has been steeped in the classics since the Renaissance so it is inevitable that composers' ideas about love are influenced by this. But in the pre-Christian era all manner of love was permitted, much of this policed in the Christian era so it is unhelpful to simply project ourselves onto Ancient Greek culture.

We have information about song in Ancient Greece, but though we know what words were sung and often by whom and why, the music of Ancient Greece remains silent to us. Subjects touched upon in discussion included the same-sex context for much wooing and courting, and sexual violence.

Eros represents erotic passion and suggesting this we had Alma Schindler-Mahler's Laue sommernacht and Britten's Johnny from the Cabaret Songs. The Schindler-Mahler had recitative-like narrative with Eickhoff delighting in the storytellling, whilst Britten's song was given with real relish.

Storge is the love non-romantic relationships and family. In many ways Storge was the 'good' female emotion, contrastinging with Mania, the 'bad'. An indication of what women should and shouldn't be. For Storge we heard An meinem Herzen from Schumann's Frauenliebe und -leben and Korngold's Liebesbriefchen. The Schumann was urgent, bubbling with overflowing emotion, then the Korngold was simple and moving in a performance that was controlled and intense. Korngold's languaged hinted at the better known Die tote Stadt.

Pragma is married love, that of Andromache and Hector for instance. One interesting point was the whilst good women might seem to have been rarely celebrated in antiquity, the preponderance of tomb stones doing just that tells a different story. We heard Faure's Au bord de l'eau and Schubert's Nähe des Geliebten. The Faure was undertated with supple and subtle line, then Schubert's song had an engaging sense of intimacy and personality.

Mania represents the dnagerous dimension of love, complete loss of self-control as represented in the tragedies. There is also the element of anxiety: acknowledging the power of the gods and the danger of giving up on our power to act rationally (for instance Medea and Hippolitus). In Schubert's song Der zürnenden Diana, Acteon knows what is coming and does not care. This was followed by Schubert's Gretchen am Spinnrade. Der zürnenden Diana paired Pertz's urgent piano with Eickhoff bringing out a sense of anticipation and almost relish. Like Schubert's Ganymede, in some ways the song demonstrates a slightly curious approach to what in the 19th century would be a dodgy situation. Gretchen am Spinnrade was disreet and controlled, with a slow build towards the climax on 'Kuss' and then real intensity until dying at the end.

Philia places us in a more familiar zone, rooted in friendship, with relationships that remove the element of desire such as affection and friendship. We heard Richard Strauss's Freundliche Vision, Mozart's Abendempfindung and Britten's arrangement of The Last Rose of Summer. Richard Strauss's song came over as an intimate narrative, with Eickhoff giving it an engaging simplicity. Mozart's Abendempfindung had a calm beauty to it, making sense of what are actually very sentimental words! There was an artlessness to Eickhoff's performance. Britten's arrangement had a quiet simpliticy that combined with the rather dark, disturbing thrumming in the piano. The last verse became more urgent with the piano almost threatening.

Finally we considered the more playful Ludus - Philautia. And the song contribution concluded with a lovely rendition of Rodgers and Hart's The Lady is a Tramp.

One of the enticing things about Oxford Song's programmes is the way that artistic director Sholto Kynoch manages to mix music with an academic strand out of the univeristy. Defining Love was a fascinating idea, the mix of words and music trying to highlight how Ancient Greek philosophies wound their way around the song repertoire. The discussion could perhaps have done to be a little more structured and, as it was, it was only towards the end that the discussions became more profitable. Valerie Eickhoff and Elenora Pertz's performances were always engaginging on-point, though it would have been nice if they were more involved in the whole event, rather than coming over as the cabaret spot!

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Elsewhere on this blog

Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Delight in small things: the Telekom Beethoven Competition winner, Seth Schultheis in recital at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
A real festival programme: varied lineups in music by Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich & Brahms at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Still remarkably youthful himself, Chromatica Orchestra's new chief conductor Oliver Cope sees their role as developing the next generation of musical talent - interview
Music in anxious times: Hatfield House Music Festival opens with a captivating evening of music from the time the house first opened - review
A sustained & compelling sense of atmosphere: Alex Mills & Anna Blom's Reverence at Brompton Cemetery Chapel - review
When Does Georgian Music Stop Being “Georgian Music”? Cellist Sandro Sidamonidze on a musical culture across borders - guest posting
To convey the true impact required depths only artistic responses could provide: David Önaç on how his Atlantic Requiem aims to memorialise the lost lives of enslaved Africans - guest article
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Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival

2026-10-13T09:27:39.765+01:00

Iestyn Davies & Oliver Wass
at Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival

Sweeter than Roses: Trabacci, Monteverdi, Frescobaldi, Cavalli, Purcell, Dowland, Muhly, Britten, Handel; Iestyn Davies, Oliver Wass; Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival in the Marble Hall
Reviewed 9 October 2026

Performing lute songs with harp accompaniment provides an imaginative solution to problems of scale, whilst Iestyn Davies and Oliver Wass's recital parts Dowland with an imaginative mix from Purcell and Frescobaldi to Britten and Muhly

Countertenor Iestyn Davies and harpist Oliver Wass debuted duo at Wigmore Hall earlier this year and they are touring it to the USA, first stop Hawaii. But en route they stopped at Hatfield House Music Festival to perform in the house's Marble Hall on Friday 9 October. We began with a harp solo by Giovanni Maria Trabacci followed by three Italian baroque arias, Monteverdi's Laudate Dominum, Cavalli's Delizie Contenti from Giasone and Frescobaldi's Se l'aura spira, then Purcell's Strike the viol from Come, ye sons of art. A sequence of seven songs by John Dowland was interspersed with instrumental movements by Bach. The second half began with Nico Muhly, three of his Four Traditional Songs written in 2011 and dedicated to Iestyn Davies. These were followed by Britten's Suite for Harp, Op. 83 (from 1969) and the evening concluded with Purcell's Sweeter than Roses and Evening Hymn, and Handel's Sento Amor from Partenope.

Oliver Wass explained that Trabacci's Toccata Seconda & Ligature per arpa is the first published piece written for harp (in fact for the Italian baroque triple harp). It came over as a free rhapsodic prelude, full of little delights. Monteverdi's Laudate Dominum had rather a dance-like feel to it with the voice floating over a busy harp part which gave a different feel to the traditional continuo. Whilst some baroque performers include harp in the continuo line-up it is rare to hear the instrument as primary continuo instrument. Frescobaldi's Se l'aura spira had a lovely swaying feel to the music with the accompaniment suiting the harp well. And the Italian group finished with Cavalli's lovely Delizie contenti in a finely seductive performance.

Purcell's Strike the viol created a different mood in this vigorous performance where, thanks to the harp having greater presence than the theorbo, Davies could be more demonstrative. Then as punctuation we had Wass playing the Allemande from Bach's French Suite No. 3 BWV 814 with graceful, fluid elegance.

The first Dowland song Say love if ever thou didst find demonstrated what a difference having a harp rather than a lute makes. The harp as a more demonstrative instrument ensured that Davies's vocal line and Wass's intricate accompaniment were in balance, meaning we heard all Dowland's instrumental detail whilst giving Davies greater freedom. Say love if ever thou didst find received a vigorous, vibrant performance and was then followed by the more inward Time stands still. In his introduction Davies linked the lines of the song 'All other things shall change but she remains the same' to Queen Elizabeth I. Melancholy, true, but the strong harp presence gave the song an interesting cast. Finally in this group, Can she excuse my wrongs returned to the vivid vigour of the first song. Bach's Menuet followed on the harp, fast, engaging and busy.

Dowland's My thoughts are wing'd with hopes was poised yet full of rhythmic felicity. Flow my tears really benefitted from the harp presence allowing full reign for Davies's expressive line. Bach's Sarabande on the harp made for an elegant pause point.

Also in his spoken introduction, Davies linked In darkness let me dwell to Dowland's time working for King Christian of Denmark where the musicians worked in a darkened room hidden from the king! Here, the performance from Davies and Wass had great presence. Finally we had the flowing melancholy of Now, O now I needs must part.

The concert made me a great convert to the idea of performing lute songs on harp, rather solving the genre's problems. Written for personal, intimate performance they are barely suited to the concert hall in their original versions.

After the interval we had three of the Four Traditional Songs that Nico Muhly wrote for Iestyn Davies. Clearly Britten was a model here as Muhly preserves the folksong vocal lines, often featuring the voice unaccompanied. A brisk young lad was rather direct, Davies's straight vocal line contrasting with the spiky harmonies. The cruel mother began unaccompanied, then Wass started a quiet buzzing on the harp. Davies's dramatic vocals told a story which was echoed by the accompaniment. For The bitter withy, the harp only joined in the third verse, the accompaniment spare yet telling.

Like the Ceremony of Carols and the folksongs with harp accompaniment, Britten's Suite for harp was written for Ossian Ellis and like those other works, the harp part was edited by Ellis so it is distinctly Britten yet idiomatically written for harp,

The Overture began in exuberant, rhapsodic matter before becoming quieter yet rhythmic. This built with lively rhythms underlying the faster passages until the opening material returned. Toccata was fast with busy fingerwork rippling high in the harp's register. Nocturne began quiet and sonorous with a rather wandering melody over the top, the whole developing into something rather sinister. The final Fugue was in fact rather rhythmic, bright and very jazzy.

We ended with a trio of English pieces. First Purcell's Sweeter than roses in a free and vibrantly outgoing performance. Taken at a good speed, the combination of Davies's voice and Wass's harp made for a full sound. Then came Sento amor from Handel's Partenope. A charming aria with Handel at his most melodic, along with some fine passagework from Davies. Then we finished with Purcell's Evening Hymn which seemed to fit the partnership perfectly.

There was an encore, David's O Lord whose mercies are numberless from Handel's Saul which, of course, does have a prominent harp part in the original.

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Elsewhere on this blog

Delight in small things: the Telekom Beethoven Competition winner, Seth Schultheis in recital at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
A real festival programme: varied lineups in music by Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich & Brahms at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Still remarkably youthful himself, Chromatica Orchestra's new chief conductor Oliver Cope sees their role as developing the next generation of musical talent - interview
Music in anxious times: Hatfield House Music Festival opens with a captivating evening of music from the time the house first opened - review
A sustained & compelling sense of atmosphere: Alex Mills & Anna Blom's Reverence at Brompton Cemetery Chapel - review
When Does Georgian Music Stop Being “Georgian Music”? Cellist Sandro Sidamonidze on a musical culture across borders - guest posting
To convey the true impact required depths only artistic responses could provide: David Önaç on how his Atlantic Requiem aims to memorialise the lost lives of enslaved Africans - guest article
Bach & Blood: a choral version of Bach's Chaconne, Pärt's Magnificat Antiphons for strings, & David Fenessy meditating on Hildegard & blood - review
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Delight in small things: the Telekom Beethoven Competition winner, Seth Schultheis in recital at Hatfield House Music Festival

2026-10-12T12:02:17.723+01:00

Seth Schultheis [Photo: Norbert Ittermann]

Beethoven, Elizabeth Ogonek, Schumann; Seth Schultheis; Hatfield House Music Festival in the Marble Hall
Reviewed 9 October 2026

The 2025 Telekom Beethoven Competition Winner in an engagingly varied programme that found delight in a sequence of short movements by three very different composers

Hatfield House Music Festival's second day, 9 October 2026, began with a piano recital by Seth Schultheis. An American based in London, Schultheis is currently an Aud Jebson Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music, and he won First Prize (and Special Prize for Chamber Music) at the 2025 Telekom Beethoven Competition in Bonn.

He began with Beethoven, not a sonata but the 11 Bagatelles, Op. 119. These were followed by five preluddes by contemporary American composer Elizabeth Ogonek, and Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6 concluded the evening.

Beethoven evidently referred to his bagatelles as 'cobbler's patches'. They are short, characteristic pieces where Beethoven is relatively unfettered by the constraints of form. Schulteheis began with classical poise in the opening minuet and trio, but then the music soon moved between quirky and characterful before classical balance returned. The robust vigour of a dance was followed by intricate rhythms, fleeting moments and the distinctly quirky. A further classical piece had a sense of questioning in the harmony leading to a showy dance with hints of Weber, then a helter-skelter dash to the touching conclusion.

Schultheis perhaps did not make us think these were free improvisations; not so much Beethoven at the piano as the the considered products of the composer's imagination. But Schultheis's sensitivity to the music's quicksilver changes and sly endings was impressive.

Elizabeth Ogonek studied at Indiana University and the USC Thornton School of Music, before studying with Julian Anderson at Guildhall School on a Marshall Scholarship. Her Preludes date from 2024 and we heard five. All were notable for their highly wrought, intricate textures and complex harmonies. The first seemed flowing yet with a restlessness that carried over into the second prelude where the mobiel harmonies hinted at dark corners. The third seemed slow and uncompromising but this was modified by delicate elaborations. The fourth was simply a delicate web of sound whilst the short fifth had an exotic, quasi-Oriental feel with transparent elaborations.

Schumann wrote his Davidsbündlertänze in 1837, three years before he and his beloved Clara achieved wedded bliss. The work is free-format, Schumann writing 18 short movements reimagining the brotherhood of the Biblical King David as a fighting against Philistines who are the enemies of Art. We begin with Clara, however, a short burst of a mazurka before launching into music that combined style and character then movement to tender yearning. All the changeability of Schumann's possibly bi-polar nature is here, famously in the characters of Florestan and Eusebius.

Schultheis was beautifully alert to the changeable nature of the music by turns vigorous then tender, alert to meood changes, yet all with strength in his fingers. There were moments that were deceptively simple yet contrasted with impetuosity and urgency; skittishly impetuous yet with underlying strengh or strong rhythms. Towards the end a tender flowing movement with disinctly quirky corners led to a vigorous dance. We ended, however, with a simple tender dance that wound right down.

In many ways Schultheis's programme was daring. In something over an hour we heard some 34 short movements, three composers allowing their imaginations to flow. on stage, Schultheis had a somewhat unassuming characters, yet his fingers were strong, alert to mood and sympathetic to the most tender passage.

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Elsewhere on this blog

A real festival programme: varied lineups in music by Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich & Brahms at Hatfield House Music Festival - review
Still remarkably youthful himself, Chromatica Orchestra's new chief conductor Oliver Cope sees their role as developing the next generation of musical talent - interview
Music in anxious times: Hatfield House Music Festival opens with a captivating evening of music from the time the house first opened - review
A sustained & compelling sense of atmosphere: Alex Mills & Anna Blom's Reverence at Brompton Cemetery Chapel - review
When Does Georgian Music Stop Being “Georgian Music”? Cellist Sandro Sidamonidze on a musical culture across borders - guest posting
To convey the true impact required depths only artistic responses could provide: David Önaç on how his Atlantic Requiem aims to memorialise the lost lives of enslaved Africans - guest article
Bach & Blood: a choral version of Bach's Chaconne, Pärt's Magnificat Antiphons for strings, & David Fenessy meditating on Hildegard & blood - review
Why compose? After a career in film & TV, composer Gavin Greenaway is developing his own voice with Skylines, the new album from his Cloud Chamber duo with Caroline Dale - interview
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A real festival programme: varied lineups in music by Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich & Brahms at Hatfield House Music Festival

2026-10-10T09:57:40.601+01:00

Frank Bridge, Benjamin Britten, Ethel Bridge by Unknown photographer
snapshot print NPG x15184 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Mozart, Britten, Shostakovich, Brahms; Musicians of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Hatfield House Music Festival in the Marble Hall
Reviewed 8 October 2026

Youthful Mozart, Britten and Shostakovich alongside autumnal Brahms in a real festival programme of varied and unusual line-ups, all played with love and energy

The advantage of festivals like the Hatfield House Music Festival is that they can bring together groups of musicians to perform music in instrumental combinations that are frequently less explored on the regular concert stage. For the second concert on Thursday 8 October 2026 in the Marble Hall at Hatfield House, Musicians of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House brought together Magnus Johnston and Jan Schmolck, violins, Gary Pomeroy and Judith Busbridge, violas, Tim Hugh and Kate Gould, cellos, Katherine Baker, flute, and Christopher Cowie, oboe, to perform Mozart's Flute Quartet in D major, K 258, Britten's Phantasy Quartet, and Brahms' Quintet No. 2 in G, Op. 111.

An imaginative added extra to the programme was the Festival's first side-by-side event where four young artists supported by the J & A Beare Cultural Trust, Sophie Hayin Chung and Isabell Karlsson, violins, Andrew O'Reilly, cello, Harry Rughoo, viola joined So-Ock Kim and Jan Schmoick, violins, Gary Pomeroy, viola, and Kate Gould, cello, to perform Dmitri Shostakovich's Octet Op. 11.

Mozart famously announced to his father that he disliked the flute, but that does not come across in his solo works for the instrument. His Flute Quartet came at a difficult time: he was undertaking a job-seeking tour of Mannheim and Paris (ultimately unsuccessful) and his mother died in Paris. He failed to complete the full commission for flute quartets and a concerto, but the D major flute quartet remains as a complete delight. We heard Katherine Baker, Magnus Johnston, Gary Pomeroy, and Tim Hugh. The opening Allegro bubbled along with a great sense of joy, with the musicians taking the music at quite a pace in apparently effortless manner. Baker displayed fine control with her flute playing, really seducing us. Stylistically, Mozart harks back to Haydn's violin-led quartets so that the flute is somewhat spotlit. This was rather emphasised in moments when flute and violin duetted, as Johnston was perhaps a tad too reticent. For the Adagio, focus was firmly on the flute as the strings provided pizzicato accompaniment, which supported Baker's expressive and supple line. The Rondeau finale was joyously engaging with a twinkle in the musicians' eyes, the bright flute contrasting with scurrying strings.

Mozart was all of 21 when he wrote the quartet, but Britten was only 18 (and still at the Royal College of Music) when he wrote his Phantasy Quartet. In 1905, Walter Willson Cobbett initiated a series of chamber music competitions aimed at the phantasy form inspired by early music. Frank Bridge, Britten's teacher, did well in these with Phantasie for String Quartet (1905), Phantasie for Piano Trio (1907), String Quartet No.2 (1914), so it is not surprising to find his pupil experimenting with the form. Britten's quartet is for oboe and strings (Christopher Cowie, Jan Schmolck, Judith Busbridge, Kate Gould). In four movements which effectively flow into each other, Britten was also inspired by Bridge's fondness for arc structures and here, Britten returns us back to the beginning at the end.

The opening arose from nothing on the cello developing into rather a sinister march, with disturbingly perky elements too. At first the lyric oboe seemed to diffuse the strings but then joined in creating music with a surprising level of agitation and near anger. There were moments of pastoralism and some virtuoso display, but the movement concluded in unsettling manner. Leading to a second movement where the viola seemed to lead, creating three mobile, intertwining string lines in music that was at times vigorous at times quietening. Here the oboe was silent, but it led in the haunting third movement over restless strings, this moved into very free, strenuous territory but eventually a confident oboe melody led us into the return of the opening material. Yet in changed form. However, the music concluded as it began.

This work displayed incredible confidence for an 18 year old, and the sense of atmosphere created a work that was rather disturbing indeed!

Shostakovich was also just 18, and studying at the Petrograd Conservatory when he composed his Two Pieces for String Octet. Here played by the young artists supported by the J & A Beare Cultural Trust alongside four of the senior players. The first movement contrasted the dramatic yet rather romantic opening with something more intimate, before a suspended passage led to perky, almost satirical music. Shostakovich worked these elements together in music that was compelling yet very restless. The second movement, Scherzo, was fast, vigorous and full of anger. Though it eased off, the music remained disturbing, and the sense of uncompromising anger returned as the music gathered impetus and unstoppable energy leading to the end. This was a performance full of youthful vigour and engaging energy. A terrific achievement.

We ended in somewhat more mellow mood. Brahms's Quintet No. 2 in G was supposed to be his last work. At least that what he announced, though he was only 57. The work was played by Magnus Johnston, Jan Schmolck, Gary Pomeroy, Judith Busbridge, Tim Hugh.

There was little autumnal about the opening with restless strings complementing a viola solo that veered towards the romantic. The second subject was relaxed and mellower, but throughout the five players gave us a full-blooded sound. Out of these elements, Brahms wove his magic. The movement was full of imaginative touches, and towards the end things seemed to unwind but a sudden burst of vigour led us to the final bars. The opening of the second movement returned to the violas, yet the overall texture was interestingly complex with a melody that was by turns muscular and yearning. Then time seemed to suspend and things died away, only for vigour to return right to the movement's conclusion. The third movement had an appealing urgency to it with a lightness to the textures, though there were occasional moments of strength. The final movement was viola at first, developing robust, restless energy. There was a moment that seemed to promise a Scotch reel; the appeared twice yet Brahms never quite took the 'reel' anywhere. Vigour and impetus seemed renewed in the coda.

With hindsight, despite Brahms's protestations, the work lacks the autumnal quality of much of his late clarinet-centred work. here, the quintet brought a vivid energy to the piece, with the violas in particular relishing their moments at the centre of things

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Elsewhere on this blog

Still remarkably youthful himself, Chromatica Orchestra's new chief conductor Oliver Cope sees their role as developing the next generation of musical talent - interview
Music in anxious times: Hatfield House Music Festival opens with a captivating evening of music from the time the house first opened - review
A sustained & compelling sense of atmosphere: Alex Mills & Anna Blom's Reverence at Brompton Cemetery Chapel - review
When Does Georgian Music Stop Being “Georgian Music”? Cellist Sandro Sidamonidze on a musical culture across borders - guest posting
To convey the true impact required depths only artistic responses could provide: David Önaç on how his Atlantic Requiem aims to memorialise the lost lives of enslaved Africans - guest article
Bach & Blood: a choral version of Bach's Chaconne, Pärt's Magnificat Antiphons for strings, & David Fenessy meditating on Hildegard & blood - review
Why compose? After a career in film & TV, composer Gavin Greenaway is developing his own voice with Skylines, the new album from his Cloud Chamber duo with Caroline Dale - interview
Challenging genius: The Yellow Tie tells the dramatic story of Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache's rise to fame in a film written & directed by his son - film review
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Still remarkably youthful himself, Chromatica Orchestra's new chief conductor Oliver Cope sees their role as developing the next generation of musical talent

2026-10-10T08:03:49.180+01:00

Oliver Cope

Oliver Cope was recently appointed as chief conductor of Chromatica Orchestra, making him one of youngest conductors in the country to hold a titled position with a professional orchestra.

He was a prize-winner at the 2026 Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition, where he was awarded the BR-KLASSIK studio production prize with the Bamberger Symphoniker. He was also First Prize winner of both the Kussewitzky Competition and the International Athens Conducting Competition. Oliver read music at Clare College, Cambridge, and then studied with Sian Edwards at the Royal Academy of Music, and with Martyn Brabbins at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Chromatica Orchestra made its debut at Battersea Arts Centre in October 2024. Formerly Bath Festival Orchestra, the ensemble was relaunched as Chromatica by its founding artistic director, conductor Peter Manning, with a new base in South London. Regularly performing in Battersea, the orchestra has developed close partnerships with the Music in Secondary Schools Trust and Newham’s Bobby Moore Academy.

Chromatica Orchestra was founded to nurture the next generation of musical talent, bringing together outstanding emerging orchestral players with brilliant soloists, and Oliver is its first chief conductor. He regards his role as 'someone to steer the ship', and his ideas for the orchestra align with those of the players and management. Chromatica is a new orchestra, and London is not short of excellent orchestras. But for Oliver, Chromatica has a distinct reason to exist. It is focused on where the players are in their careers. He feels that there is a gap in London when it comes to early career players. He wants Chromatica to be free to look at ways to do things differently, whether it is the way they play programmes or experimenting with venues. Chromatica's regular concert series at Battersea Arts Centre is already a step away from traditional venues.

The orchestra's players are in the 25 to 35 age range, and Oliver finds the quality of their playing to be exceptional. Already some players have gone on to win positions with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Oliver sees rehearsals as being collaborative, and he comments that conductors who shut down comment from the first desks and players are missing a trick. He takes that approach everywhere, with Chromatica being no different in that respect to another orchestra. That the players are all at the same stage of their careers brings a different edge to the orchestra's performances he feels.

Chromatica Orchestra [Photo: Monika Jakubowska]

As chief conductor, his first programme with the orchestra is on 9 October 2026, Surface & Shadow, at Battersea Arts Centre when they are playing Bernard Herrmann's Psycho Suite, Korngold's Violin Concerto (with Sarang Seohyun Kim) and Shostakovich's Symphony No 9. The programme started from the Korngold, and Oliver comments that their soloist Sarang Seohyun Kim is amazing. She turns 18 on the day of the concert and he feels that she will be a star in ten years time. Korngold's concerto, though a concert work, is imbued in the film-music world so Oliver thought it would be apt to pair it with film music: Herrmann's Psycho Suite for string orchestra, which is not often given in concert. Oliver finds the piece exciting and feels that the music is very evocative even if you have not seen the film. And Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9 was written the same year as Korngold's concerto. Korngold wrote only film music during the war, so his concerto was his very deliberate return to concert works. Similarly, Shostakovich's symphony was his first post-war work and he did write music for films, which makes for interesting comparisons with Korngold.

For Oliver's second programme with the orchestra on 26 November, Attract & Resist, they are joined by accordion player Ryan Corbett. Their programme includes Daniel Soley's Accordion Concerto, which was written for Corbett and which he premiered with the Britten Sinfonia. Oliver suggests the concert has a tango theme without being tango, avoiding stereotypes, so also on the programme is Osvaldo Golijov's Last Round (described by Oliver as a piece no-one has heard of) and some Piazzolla. To complement this is Poulenc's Sinfonietta, neither Latin nor tango but very colourful and a bit more well-known.

Oliver wants Chromatica to find amazing young talent as soloists and he describes Ryan Corbett as doing amazing things with his instrument. Corbett was the first ever accordionist to be on the BBC New Generation Artist scheme.

Oliver Cope [Photo: Amanda Protidou / TSSO]

Growing up, Oliver played the harp and this was the sort of musician he thought he would be. As a teenager he played a lot in amateur orchestras alongside adults. He became interested in what conductors did and managed to persuade orchestras to let him have a go at conducting. The way he describes it, it sounds as if he bartered his time playing the harp against a session conducting a rehearsal, in lieu of payment. And age 16, he set up his own orchestra with his friends. He read music at Cambridge, but he describes his time there as being a bit of a playground for conductors. His activities included a staging of Bizet's Carmen and premiering new commissions by composers who were his friends. Perhaps more interested in what he wanted to achieve, he only had his first conducting lesson when he was 22.

As well as recent orchestral conducting activities and competitions, another thread to Oliver's life is opera. He conducted both HGO and British Youth Opera this year. In April 2026 he conducted Britten's The Rape of Lucretia for HGO at Jackson's Lane Theatre [see review on Seen & Heard], having conducted Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin for them in 2024 [see review on Seen & Heard]. This summer he conducted Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress for British Youth Opera at Battersea Arts Centre, Chromatica Orchestra's home, [see review on The Guardian]

He finds that opera is important to him as a musician: he always learns something, and working with singers teaches you something. He is interested to find out if he might do something similar with Chromatica Orchestra as this would be a different skill for the orchestra. With BYO's The Rake's Progress the orchestra was Sinfonia Smith Square and this was the orchestra's only opera production this year. Looking ahead he opines that two opera productions per year would be nice.

Oliver Cope [Photo: Reinhold Eckert]

This season he will be returning to Bamberg to conduct the Bamberger Symphoniker for a recording, this arose out of Oliver's success at the orchestra's 2026 Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition. Oliver has taken part in several competitions with an enviable degree of success. When I ask his thoughts on competitions in general he says that for him they are certainly helpful, but as for being enjoyable, he is not so sure! Also, getting into them can be tricky; there were years when he applied and didn't get in. For the bigger competitions, you might have five hundred people applying (via video) for around 20 or so places.

He comments that competitions can be brutal. In real life you have two or three rehearsals and then the concert (and perhaps more than one concret date), giving you time to understand the orchestra. In a competition your time in the first round is liable to be a mere 15 minutes. Your response has to be immediate and it is very much an artificial situation. You spend months learning a pile of scores, do your fifteen minutes and then that's it. He has found competitions to be a necessary evil, and has a couple more that he is going to do. However, he has learned a lot: he feels that any situation that is uncomfortable can be beneficial—you learn.

He admits that he is still in the early stages of his career, so his diary for the next year is still somewhat in flux (Chromatica Orchestra apart). But he is grateful to have a fairly full diary to look forward to.

Full details of Oliver Cope's concerts from his website, and Chromatica Orchestra's forthcoming season on their website.

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Elsewhere on this blog

Music in anxious times: Hatfield House Music Festival opens with a captivating evening of music from the time the house first opened - review
A sustained & compelling sense of atmosphere: Alex Mills & Anna Blom's Reverence at Brompton Cemetery Chapel - review
When Does Georgian Music Stop Being “Georgian Music”? Cellist Sandro Sidamonidze on a musical culture across borders - guest posting
To convey the true impact required depths only artistic responses could provide: David Önaç on how his Atlantic Requiem aims to memorialise the lost lives of enslaved Africans - guest article
Bach & Blood: a choral version of Bach's Chaconne, Pärt's Magnificat Antiphons for strings, & David Fenessy meditating on Hildegard & blood - review
Why compose? After a career in film & TV, composer Gavin Greenaway is developing his own voice with Skylines, the new album from his Cloud Chamber duo with Caroline Dale - interview
Challenging genius: The Yellow Tie tells the dramatic story of Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache's rise to fame in a film written & directed by his son - film review
Britten's War Requiem: Edward Gardner takes an uncompromising & severe view softened by the poetic attention to the words from soloists in London Philharmonic Orchestra's season opener - concert review
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Music in anxious times: Hatfield House Music Festival opens with a captivating evening of music from the time the house first opened

2026-10-09T11:32:55.784+01:00

Musicians preparing for the opening concert of Hatfield House Music Festival
under the watchful eye of Queen Elizabeth I in the Marble Hall

Music which pleaseth myne ear: Thomas Morley, John Dowland, William Byrd, Tobias Hume, William Lawes, John Coprario; The Sixteen, Fretwork, Joy Smith, Eligio Luis Quinteiro, Harry Christophers; Hatfield House Music Festival in the Marble Hall
Reviewed 8 October 2027

A captivating and enlightening evening of music by Byrd and his contemporaries mixing viol consort, vocal ensemble and instrumental dances complete with pavans for harp consort and some of Byrd's consort songs

When the first Lord Salisbury built Hatfield House (completed in 1611), he employed various musicians including a viol concert to perform in the house. The present Lord Salisbury cannot quite run to that, but this year marks the 15th anniversary of the Hatfield House Music Festival which was founded with cellist Guy Johnston as the artistic director. This year's festival celebrates not just that anniversary, but Lord Salisbury's 80th birthday, and of course the 400th anniversary of the death of John Dowland.

For the opening concert of the festival, at 5pm on Thursday 8 October 2026 in Hatfield House's Marble Hall (one of the first Lord Salisbury's original interiors now presided over by the 'Rainbow Portrait' of Queen Elizabeth I) we returned to the early 17th century for Music which pleaseth myne ear, a programme of music by William Byrd and his contemporaries. Music that would have been around at the time of the house's completion. Harry Christophers and members of The Sixteen (Katy Hill, Alexandra Kidgell, Elisabeth Paul, Mark Dobell, Oscar Golden Lee, Ben Davies, Rob Macdonald) were joined by the viol consort Fretwork (Emilia Benjamin, Christopher Terepin, Joanna Levine, Sam Stadlen, Richard Boothby), harpist Joy Smith, and lutenist Eligio Luis Quinteiro for a programme that moved between unaccompanied part-songs and devotional songs, viol consorts, dances and more concerted pieces.

The music of William Byrd was central to the evening and the sheer variety of his output was apparent. Here was sacred music in Latin and English both liturgical and intended for private devotions, secular music on classical subjects and for pure entertainment, and instrumental music including a pavan in honour of the first Earl of Salisbury. As Stephen Johnson pointed out in his programme notes, the way Byrd wrote to "please the powers at be whilst offering a message of consolation and hope to those with ears to hear it" rather resembles the balancing act the Dmitri Shostakovich had to undertake.

We began with Thomas Morley's lively madrigal I love, alas, I love thee which was full of rhythmic felicity and included a word setting that rather came over as 'I love, a lass, I love thee' which may well have been intentional!. John Dowland's elegant dance, My Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home introduced us to the lovely sound of Eligio Luis Quinteiro's lute and Joy Smith's period harp. This latter had a rather luminous sound which made the music very seductive - what else was welcoming Lord Willoughby home, one wondered. The Sixteen returned with another aspect to the vocal music, something sacred, probably a devotional song designed to be sung at home, Byrd's serious and rather moral Retire my soul.

The final instruments in the mix were the viols. Richard Boothby and Sam Stalen (on bass viols) brought out the plangent quality in Tobias Hume's Sweet musicke with its two interwining lines. Subtitled 'Earle of Salisburies favoret delight', there was a melody line but the piece was all about texture.

Thereafter the various different groupings intertwined in different ways creating a programme that was varied and wonderfully satisfying. The original Lord Salisbury rarely had quite so many people listening to 'his' music but the programme evoked those times. And the acoustics of the Marble Hall are wonderful excellent for 17th century music.

The Sixteen contrasted the outward facing melancholy of Dowland's Weep no more sad fountains with his livelier Up merry mates. There was the elegant melancholy of Byrd's Come woeful Orpheus, very serious in its intent, rather more intimate and personal was the three voice vocal work In winter cold, something to be sung at home. And households like that of the Lord Salisbury would have had singers; servants were often employed for the musical skills and would sing alongside members of the household. Byrd's This sweet and merry month of May was a lively delight full of infectious cross rhythms

Eligio Luis Quinteirio's lute gave us the intimate melancholy of Dowland's Robin, whilst Quinteiro was joined by Joy Smith's harp for Dowland's lively My Lord Chamberlain, his Galliard.

Fretwork's performance of Byrd's In nomine a 5 brought out the distinctive sound of the viols yet this was recognisably the same voice as the other works by the composer in the programme. There was something rather toe-tapping about Byrd's Pauana, The Earle of Salisbury and Galiardo with a dance-inspiring liveliness to it. John Coprario (Cooper) is a composer associated with the first Lord Salisbury's Hatfield, and his Illicita Cosa, a fantasia for five viols, broke no rules yet sounded deliberately (and delightfully) weird.

Of great interest were two pieces by William Lawes for harp consort (harp, lute, treble and bass viols) . Both were pavans, one on a bass theme by J Cormacke and the other on a bass theme by Coprario. Both were rather like sets of variations, where the interplay of voices was paramount. But of significant interest was the way the plangent upper and lower viol lines sat around the luminous infilling of the harp. I was familiar with these harp consort works on disc but this was the first time I had the pleasure of hearing them live.

The Sixteen joined with Fretwork for Byrd's Have mercy upon me O God with the dark, chestnut sound of the viols contrasting with the clarity of the voices (solo alto Elisabeth Paul and then tutti). The piece sets an adaptation of Psalm 51, almost certainly for private devotional use. Like much of the Byrd in the programme this came from Psalmes, songs and sonnets of 1611. Byrd's Ah, silly soul featured a soprano solo (Katy Hill) and viols, her expressive, serious vocal line contrasting with the mobile counterpoint of five interweaving viol lines in striking manner. Consort songs such of this are a rare joy and a neglected part of modern concert repertoire.

We ended with something for everyone. Byrd's consort song O God that guides the cheerful sun with verses sung by soprano solo (Katy Hill), then choral choruses, all accompanied by viols plus harp and lute. It contrasted the serious intent of the soprano solo with the lively counterpoint of the viols, but then rhythmic liveliness crept in and solo soprano and viols echoed each other, passing little rhythmic motifs around. A complete and utter delight, and the sort of work only possible when the right people come together.

This was a captivating and enlightening evening. Hearing the right sort of music in the right performances in the right place. Heaven and a wonderful way to celebrate all those anniversaries.

Never miss out on future posts by following us

The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

A sustained & compelling sense of atmosphere: Alex Mills & Anna Blom's Reverence at Brompton Cemetery Chapel - review
When Does Georgian Music Stop Being “Georgian Music”? Cellist Sandro Sidamonidze on a musical culture across borders - guest posting
To convey the true impact required depths only artistic responses could provide: David Önaç on how his Atlantic Requiem aims to memorialise the lost lives of enslaved Africans - guest article
Bach & Blood: a choral version of Bach's Chaconne, Pärt's Magnificat Antiphons for strings, & David Fenessy meditating on Hildegard & blood - review
Why compose? After a career in film & TV, composer Gavin Greenaway is developing his own voice with Skylines, the new album from his Cloud Chamber duo with Caroline Dale - interview
Challenging genius: The Yellow Tie tells the dramatic story of Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache's rise to fame in a film written & directed by his son - film review
Britten's War Requiem: Edward Gardner takes an uncompromising & severe view softened by the poetic attention to the words from soloists in London Philharmonic Orchestra's season opener - concert review
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Celebrating John Joubert at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in advance of his 2027 centenary

2026-10-08T08:49:27.252+01:00

John Joubert [photo: Graham Boulton]

Next year is the centenary of Birmingham’s pre-eminent composer John Joubert (1927-2019). Born in South Africa, John Joubert wrote over 180 works, ranging from operas and orchestral music to choral works and short carols [his final opera, Jane Eyre received its stage premiere at Grimeborn Festival last year, see my review].

He made his home in Moseley where he lived for over 50 years and was a much-loved teacher and conductor at University of Birmingham.

As a taster for next year's centenary celebrations, Jeffrey Skidmore (founder of Ex Cathedra) will conduct RBC Chamber Choir in The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on 29 October 2026 in a programme that mixes Joubert's music with that of Byrd, Parry and Rachmaninoff.

Jeffrey Skidmore explains, "The idea for the programme came from a 50th anniversary concert that Ex Cathedra gave in Joubert’s honour in 1987. Joubert wrote in the programme about the inspiration of his school in South Africa where he was introduced to works by Byrd, Parry and Rachmaninoff. His own compositions, There is no rose, O Lorde the maker of al thing, and Torches, are now modern-day classics. We’ll also include the Magnificat he wrote for the cathedral in Cape Town, and that links to the concluding piece South of the Line – which I consider to be his masterpiece – a setting of five of Thomas Hardy’s powerful anti-Boer War poems."

Full details from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's website.

O’Hare Music Centre, Britten Pears Arts’ new hub for music education, participation and artist development

2026-10-07T07:47:41.974+01:00

Students on the Advanced Young Musicians Programme [Photo: Britten Pears Arts]

Britten Pears Arts’ O’Hare Music Centre has opened up in the newly refurbished Britten Pears Building at Snape Maltings. As part of phase 1 of Snape's capital programme, the modernisation of the Britten Pears Building – originally converted in 1979 - was led by architects De Matos Ryan and built by Hutton Construction. A new lift has been installed, five larger music studios have been created, all the technical facilities modernised and the upper floor has been transformed into a state-of-the-art Clore Learning Space.

The Centre brings together the organisation’s work with children, young people, and emerging professional musicians under one roof, offering musical opportunities for artists of all ages: from early years to advanced musicians aged 18, as well as training and creative development opportunities for experienced and internationally established professional musicians as part of the Britten Pears Young Artist & Residencies programmes.

The launch marks a significant step in Britten Pears Arts’ commitment to nurturing future generations of musicians while strengthening access to high-quality musical opportunities across East Suffolk. A new significant partnership with the Norfolk & Suffolk Music Hub will enable its work for and with children and young people significantly across the next few years. This includes termly performance opportunities for pathways programmes within the Hub as well as a term-time, weekly Saturday school for children of all ages, and the establishment of new singing groups on a Friday afternoon.

Advanced Young Musicians (AYM) is the organisation’s musical progression programme for talented young musicians from Suffolk and East Anglia. From September 2026, AYM enters an exciting new chapter, with expanded opportunities, a refreshed structure, and a new home in the Centre The programme brings together up to 40 young musicians for weekly Saturday sessions and students will be closely connected to the wider Britten Pears Arts programme, with opportunities to take part in the Aldeburgh Festival, attend masterclasses, observe rehearsals, and engage with an international community of artists.

Further information from Britten Pears Arts' website.

Emad Zolfaghari is the first viola winner in Windsor Festival International String Competition's history

2026-10-07T07:36:46.566+01:00

First prize winner, Canadian violist Emad Zolfaghari performing at
Windsor Festival International String Competition 2026
[Photo: Julian Guidera]

This year's Windsor Festival International String Competition celebrated its 10th anniversary and, for the first time, the final on 2 October 2026 featured concerto performances with orchestra - the Orpheus Sinfonia, conductor Rory Macdonald.

And in another first, the winner this year was a viola player: the 21 year old Canadian, Emad Zolfaghari. In what was an extremely close-run final, a joint second prize was awarded to two violinists - 18 year old Lithuanian, Rokas Diržys, and 23 year old American, Sophie Werner. Diržys also won both the Orchestra Prize and the Audience Prize.

Zolfaghari played Walton's Viola Concerto, Diržys played Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Werner played Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216.

There was an impressive line up of judges:

Joji Hattori: Violinist and Conductor, Hsin-Yun Huang: Violist, Raphael Wallfisch: Cellist, Sally Beamish: Composer, Rory Macdonald: Conductor, Alexander van Ingen: Executive Producer, Champs Hill Records, Tom Philpott: Director of Artistic Planning, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Martin Denny: Director, Windsor Festival.

As the winner, Emad Zolfaghari receives a cash prize, a solo recording with Champs Hill Records, performance in Windsor Castle during the 2027 Windsor Festival with associate orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra followed by a UK tour, a concerto commission from composer Sally Beamish, featuring a world premiere performance in London with Orpheus Sinfonia in June 2027, and recital opportunities.

Emad Zolfaghari is a graduate of the Curtis Institute, and is currently a Kovner Fellow at the Juilliard School. He plays on a fine 1700 Matteo Goffriller viola on generous loan from the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation [see my interview with Rachel].

Further information from the festival website.

Music in unexpected places: Wimbledon International Music Festival returns for the second festival under artistic director Anthony Friend

2026-10-06T10:28:51.501+01:00

Wimbledon International Music Festival returns next month with 26 events on offer from 7 to 29 November 2026. This year's festival, the 18th, is the second festival under the artistic directorship of Anthony Friend who took over from the festival's founder, Anthony Wilkinson in 2025.

When he founded the festival in 2009, Anthony Wilkinson had a long-held dream of creating a new concert hall in Wimbledon. Under Anthony Friend, the festival has embraced a diversity of venues. The main concert venue is St John the Baptist, Spencer Hill but there are also events in Auditorium, Wimbledon High School; Upper Hall, Sacred Heart Church; King’s College School, Wimbledon, along with more unusual spaces including Merton Arts Space, Wimbledon Library; The Rushmere pub, Ridgway; Jeroboams wine bar, Wimbledon Village; along with a schools' concert in New Wimbledon Theatre.

The festival opens with Sacred Splendour, music from Venice and Madrid performed by Academy Choir of Wimbledon, conductor George Inscoe (Sub-Organist at St Paul’s Cathedral) , and His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts. And the festival concludes with a recital by pianist Angela Hewitt, who returns to the festival for the third time.

Other highlights include a recital by pianist David Khrikuli, a laureate of the Chopin International Piano Competition in Bach, Chopin, Ravel and Rachmaninoff, and festival artistic director Anthony Friend joins Quatuor Agate for Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, plus quartets by Korngold and Schubert. Spanish pianist Antonio Oyarzábal joins the Solem Quartet for piano quintets by Dvorak and Amy Beach. Members of Sinfonia Cymru are led by Haim Choi in a programme that moves from Mendelssohn's Octet and Oli Mustonen's Nonetto II to smaller line-ups for music by Lili Boulanger, Louise Farrenc and Jean Francaix.

Max Barley (Director of Music, Holy Trinity Sloane Square) returns to the festival with the latest programme of Bach, this time the cantata Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, the motet O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, and Magnificat. Sinfonia Smith Square are conducted by Charlotte Corderoy in Anna Clyne's virtuosic orchestral showpiece Sound and fury, a new flugelhorn concerto, Hargrove, by Gabriel Jackson with soloist Imogen Whitehead (for whom it was written) and Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony.

A rising star of the viola, Edgar Francis was just 22 years old when he won the 2021 Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition. At this year's festival he is joined by pianist Jâms Coleman for the Tertis Memorial Concert with music from Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, Rebecca Clarke and Frank Bridge.

There is a gala recital by rising opera stars from the English National Opera, featuring favourite arias accompanied by piano and English sparkling wine from Roebuck Estates. The Festival takes over The Rushmere pub for two nights: jazz singer Natalie Williams and her band, in association with Ronnie Scott's, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, performing French Baroque music in their lighthearted Night Shift format.

Candlelit concerts bring a cosy Scandinavian atmosphere to performances by the Lodestar Trio, combining Nordic folk music with Bach, and soprano Ruby Hughes with lutenist Jonas Nordberg, performing a programme devoted to John Dowland. Whilst events at at Jeroboams in Wimbledon Village, pair music with wines from around the world: Neapolitan song with wines from Naples and southern Italy, and Piazzolla with Argentinian wine. There is an evening of live music and live painting, with Jérémie Queyras and violinist Charlotte Spruit creating three large-scale canvases during the concert, which will be available for sale afterwards.

Alongside its public performances, the Festival reaches thousands of young people through its partnership with Merton Music Foundation, supporting music education and bringing live performance to schools across the borough.

Full details from the Festival's website.