Of all the musical jewels Olivier Messiaen left us, his Turangalîla-symphonie is most commonly associated with him. It is not a symphony in any traditional sense but rather a mosaic of ten movements that unfolds over an hour and twenty minutes
Category: 20th century
“Why, I auteur…”: ‘The Makropulos Case’ (mostly), Royal Ballet & Opera, London
The latest in the Royal Opera’s Janáček cycle, this is their first production of ‘The Makropulos Case’ – and mine, too. I was excited to be seeing at last this piece that I’d read about but, appropriately enough, had difficulty imagining as a real experience. Please note that this write-up includes ‘spoilers’ to a certain…
Tavener’s ‘Veil’ set for live recording at London’s Greek Cathedral
ArtMuseLondon caught up with the much in demand British cellist, Guy Johnston, just as he was about to open the Hatfield House Music Festival. Guy – 2025 will be the 14th year of the Hatfield House Music Festival. What is the musical theme for this year? The Gift of Music. The gift of music is one…
Plain song: Coleridge-Taylor, ‘The Atonement’, Three Choirs Festival 2025, Hereford
A highlight of a brief visit to the Three Choirs Festival this year was the opportunity to hear Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s little-known and rarely-performed choral work, ‘The Atonement’. The sense of occasion was twofold: this revival in the glorious setting of Hereford Cathedral was like a homecoming for the cantata, which received its premiere in Hereford…
Francis Poulenc’s piano miniatures delight
Paul Berkowitz has built a solid reputation with heavy-duty recordings of German composers. His complete Schubert piano sonatas, in particular, have earned him much praise. The Canadian-born pianist has now turned his hand to very different French 20th century repertoire with Francis Poulenc’s piano works. Poulenc frequented avant-garde music and literary circles and came to…
Latin translations: Julieth Lozano Rolong & João Araújo, ‘Alma: Ibero-American Songs’
This is a thrilling hour in the company of two artists who perform as if this music is flowing through their veins as well as their heritage. ‘Alma’ shines a spotlight on 20th-century repertoire mostly from Latin America, alongside a smaller selection from Spain and Portugal. Although, as the liner notes tell us, some of…
Self taut: Barbara Hepworth ‘Strings’, Piano Nobile
I managed to see this exquisite exhibition with only a few days to spare: it closes on 2 May. If you are in the right place at the right time – Holland Park, London – I urge you to go if you can. For those of you who cannot get there, here is a brief…
The Cartier success story – the tale of three brothers
The Cartier show at the V&A is officially open and what a glittering show it promises to be! I haven’t been yet and before taking myself along to South Kensington, I have been perusing the pages of Cartier, a V&A publication, which accompanies the exhibition. The heavy tome is a catalogue of sumptuous jewellery that…
Blood ties: ‘Festen’, Royal Opera; ‘Mary, Queen of Scots’, English National Opera
It’s been an intense week. Two operas, over two consecutive evenings, spent with two explosively dysfunctional onstage families. Time to decompress. If you keep an eye on London operantics, you’ll be aware of the world première of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s ‘Festen’ (libretto by Lee Hall, directed by Richard Jones) at Royal Ballet & Opera. And if…
Male gaze: Francis Bacon, ‘Human Presence’, National Portrait Gallery, London
This collection of more than 50 portraits painted by Francis Bacon is certainly intense – although perhaps not for the reasons one might have expected. Some of Bacon’s most famous and celebrated canvases show extremes of violence and distortion: the full-on body horror of the early figures at the crucifixion, or the melting abyss of…
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