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: review
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,…
Exploring Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie: A Musical Journey
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
Slick and Soulful. ENO’s production of Partenope is a Handel Hit
Partenope was Handel’s first comic opera and was first performed in1730 at the King’s Theatre, London. It is the tale of Queen Partenope’s search for love and the romantic complications she and her circle of suitors encounter along the way. I attended the opening night of Partenope to see Christopher Alden’s award-winning staging of Handel’s…
“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…
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…
Argentinian pianist, Ingrid Fliter, dazzles her audience at the London Piano Festival King’s Place
As part of the wonderful London Piano Festival which takes place every year at King’s Place, Argentinian pianist, Ingrid Filter performed a romantic programme of Beethoven and Chopin works. Filter came to the stage in dazzling silver jacket and spangled shoes, her starry appearance under the stage lights suggesting more tango than Beethoven or Chopin. Despite her bold…
Oxford Circus: ‘John Le Carré: Tradecraft’, Weston Library, Oxford
John Le Carré insisted that he was a writer first, and sometime spy second – and this excellent exhibition drawn from the author’s archive honours that self-image. It’s easy to emerge from the exit thinking Le Carré was half man, half words but – appropriately enough – the reality is not so simple. The entrance…
Gilbert and George -Hogarths of our time
Gilbert and George’s latest show is a collection of their work spanning the past 25 years. The London skies may be concrete grey but the Hayward Gallery is brimming over with vividly hued, kaleidoscopic, digitalised works. Newspaper media abounds – headlines detailing bombings, murders, miscarriages of justice and elsewhere there are male sex ads, ‘religious’…
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…
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