Keith Burstein may be a respected British composer, but his Manifest Destiny has given him a major headache since it first premiered in the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh 2005. The opera, set in the geopolitical context of the Middle East, is the tale of Daniel, a British Jewish composer; Leila, a Palestinian poet, and Mohammed,…
Category: 21st century
International anthem: Jo Quail and Friends, Enschede, Netherlands
When I first heard cellist-composer Jo Quail perform – back in 2013, in a solo support slot – it was immediately clear that she occupied a genre all her own. A kindred spirit, for sure, with other musicians active in the dark folk / neoclassical / what-you-will underground – especially fellow ‘loopers’ (like Matt Howden,…
Czech Centre launches its 29th Made in Prague Festival with ‘Caravan’
The 29th Made in Prague Festival is a celebration of Czech culture and one great film to emerge from this cultural initiative is Caravan, directed by newbie filmmaker, Zuzana Kirchnerová, who has managed to produce a tender and meaningful mother-son story. Single mother, Ester, has a Down Syndrome and autistic son. David is deprived of speech, however he journeys…
Rock of ages: Matt Howden / Keith Howden, ‘Language for Stone’
This latest collaboration between violinist and songwriter Matt Howden and his poet and artist father Keith – their third – is an extraordinary achievement: in its sonic ambition, its storytelling, its joy in language, its historical reach. A concept album, for sure: but precise, brisk, intricate and forthright. ‘Language for Stone’ began as a record…
Graphic content: François Berthoud’s posters for Opernhaus Zürich
A real ‘picture post’ from me here. Our recent visit to Opernhaus Zürich coincided with an exhibition of the memorable posters designed for the company by illustrator François Berthoud over the last 13 years. Each poster features an image of a single item linked to the work in question – on some the connection is…
Absence makes the art grow stronger: Bitter Ruin, ‘Arches & Enemies’
Bitter Ruin’s music, high wire and high octane, has always found the sweet spot between intimacy and impact. The duo – Georgia Train (vocals) and Ben Richards (instruments, vocals) – possess a kind of volatile creative chemistry that allowed their records to calm one minute, combust the next. Live, they really were stage animals, presenting…
Active listening: The Necks, Cafe OTO, London
Dalston’s Cafe OTO hides in plain sight, tucked away from the main drag, the venue’s name invisible to the outside observer until their nose is almost pressed up against the chalkboard by the door. Intimate and somehow inscrutable – quite an achievement for a premises – it hosts a jaw-dropping variety of free jazz and…
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…
No limit: Barb Jungr and her Trio, ‘Hallelujah on Desolation Row’
While Barb Jungr has interpreted a range of songs by both Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen throughout her career, this marvellous new release is only her second album to bring them together as ‘twindred spirits’ of sorts. The first, ‘Hard Rain’, is an essential, blistering listen, focusing on the politics in the poetry. However, this…
Odaline de la Martinez reflects upon her musical career and why she only gets depressed one day a year – if that!
Chachi – or Odaline de la Martinez in full – is a woman of many talents. The Cuban-born, musical polymath, was the first female composer to conduct at the Proms, in 1984. An energetic promoter of women composers and Latin American music, she is conducting at the 9th London Festival of American Music at the…
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