For more than half a century, pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque have held a distinctive place in the musical landscape. Celebrated for the brilliance and precision of their ensemble playing, they have also pursued a career marked by an unusually wide-ranging curiosity.
Tag: review
Still life: ‘Marilyn Monroe: a Portrait’, National Portrait Gallery, London
I confess: initially I was in two minds about even attending this exhibition. The hook, for the record, is that 2026 marks Marilyn Monroe’s centenary year. Even so, i was a little sceptical about why – outside its being a surefire hot ticket – the gallery would shine a spotlight on surely one of the…
Sound design: Xuefei Yang & Ning Feng, Wigmore Hall, London, UK
Always grateful for a chance to hear guitarist Xuefei Yang play live, I was especially keen to catch this fascinating programme developed in collaboration with violinist Ning Feng. As part of Wigmore Hall’s series of hour-long Sunday morning recitals, it was compact yet wide-ranging: a perfect opportunity to escape the glue-like British humidity into the…
Musical moment: Carolyn Sampson & Joseph Middleton, ‘1901’, Wigmore Hall, London, UK
2026 marks Wigmore Hall’s 125th anniversary, and the venue has been celebrating its birth year in style, with a fortnight-long festival of over 20 concerts. This jewel among them took us back to when the Hall opened its doors, with every song featured dating back to 1901. Followers of this duo will already be familiar…
Star turn: Simone McIntosh & Nathaniel LaNasa, Messiaen’s ‘Harawi’, Wigmore Hall, London
This Sunday afternoon recital promised to be a true rarity. In all the time I’ve been going to Wigmore Hall – in fact, attending art song concerts anywhere – I’ve never knowingly seen Messiaen’s ‘Harawi’ programmed. Recordings also seem relatively scarce, with a handful of mentions on the esteemed Presto Music website, and some of…
Through the fire and flood: ‘Siegfried’ and ‘The Turn of the Screw’, Royal Ballet & Opera
From fights to frights at the RBO, as I managed to escape from reality there twice in a week: first to see ‘Siegfried’, the third instalment in Barrie Kosky’s ongoing Ring cycle for the company. While we’re talking very narrow margins, ‘Siegfried’ has tended to be my least favourite of the four Ring operas. I’ve…
Queasy listening: ‘Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny’, English National Opera, London
The city of Mahagonny rose and fell three times in the space of a week in ENO’s recent ‘blink-and-you’ll-miss-it’ production. Fortunately, enough people did notice and the entire run sold out – so I am glad to have made it to the closing night. This uncompromising, scathing satire from Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht tells…
Personal space: Lee Miller, Tate Modern, London
This fascinating exhibition, offering a detailed, thoughtfully-assembled overview of Miller’s career, leaves the visitor in no doubt that she was one of the finest, most important artists to have picked up a camera. I was fortunate enough to go in the show’s final weeks, and for those of you unable to get there, I hope…
Thomas Luke: ‘See Me Now’ – a confident, imaginative debut
‘an impressive debut that leaves one wanting to hear more from this confident and imaginative musician’
Retrospecstive 2025: Adrian Ainsworth’s albums of the year
Putting this list together seems to take me a little longer each January, but I firmly believe that – my ‘winning’ approach to organisation aside – it’s simply because I’m privileged to discover so much more great music every year. Without any further delay, then, here are the (20)25 releases I’m keen to bring to…
