(3 / 5)

After a week of travels in both Austria and Germany, I would find my journey’s end with Parsifal in Bayreuth. For me this is one of Wagner’s best bit of music. A personal and often enticing affair dripping in Christian imagery and themes. Having heard this live twice only in concert form (Marinksy & Opera North), a chance to finally see it staged was vastly enticing. 

After two days of The Flying Dutchman and Rienzi in Bayreuth, I was impressed with most things about both productions. This Parsifal broke the cycle in an odd, fruity production which left me wanting more. Jay Scheib has a bold vision for these four hours, heavy in faith and ceremony. The set design by Mimi Lien would evoke a red light district, Fallout, saint’s relics and florescent tube lighting. Video work by Joshua Higgason would see vast IMAX screens the back of the stage pulling focus on this large stage to the characters in question, live streamed for great effect. An extensive scene of the filmed dressing of a wound, is bloody and has left some viewers nauseated.   

Costumes are a variable: army camouflage, Summer of Love, gowns, t-shirts and more. ‘Remember Me’ is seen on the back of Parsifal for the third act, a nod to memorials in the R’n’b world. This story of the Welsh knight Perceval (the story is here set in Spain), sees him go from boy to man, via the quest for The Holy Lance, which pierced Christ’s side. Amfortas is given the same wound as he also got struck but it, via Klingsor the wicked knight who went off the rails. Kundry, a sorceress at times aids and in other moments torments these knights, via the hand of Klingsor. The Holy Grails also plays a part in the story, the redemptive qualities of Parsifal through his trail by fire to adulthood involve the sacred artefact as well as the Lance. 

I did not find everything to glue together here very well. Actors and the chorus did not always have a lot to do, even in the elongated Transformation Music and the finale. The live video might have been one of the more strong accepts of this staging. Klingsor’s lair looks more like a slither of a Soho nightclub, with flashing harsh colours and a huge crack in the wall. The Flower Maidens sent to woe Parsifal are hippy chic, rich in reds, pinks and greens. The first act sees a towering beacon, illuminated for dramatic moments not really suggesting more than a lighthouse. It just feels like there were ideas for the sets and costumes without any real connecting tissue to it all.  

As the singing went there was little to be upset about. As Parsifal, Andreas Schager proved valiant and rich in the role. Heavy going by any standard, the metamorphosis between these acts sees more vocal drama, leaps and sweeping proclamations for the part. Amfortas, the wounded elder knight, was Michael Volle, who in this take appears to have a severe case of hernia of a wound. A lot of suffering comes out of this role, as he is in pain for 95 per cent of his time on stage, this goes into the vocal line and Volle seeks great depths and finds jewels. Gurnemanz from Georg Zeppenfeld is always a lovely part, here no different in the inclusion of the young Parsifal to their rituals, singing the Good Friday Music with elegance and vigour. 

Titurel, Amfortas’ father is the offstage Vitalij Kowaljow, burring during the arriving ceremonies, as his son writhes in agony. Klingsor is the fabulous Jordon Shanahan and is owning every moment of this. Clad in heels, a salmon suit and foil helmet the ludicrous nature of this version is not a divergence and is fun. Also nicely delivered thanks to the de Sade like take on part by Shanahan, a shame we only see him at the start and end of fact two. Miina-Liisa Värelä had a little iffy start as Kundry, another ocean like character. She really gets into her alluring goth girl outside Blue Banana in act two, with the dress sense. Act three sees her sing very little (two lines), so the second act gives Värelä daring drama in the seduction of Parsifal to betray him. Impressed by her efforts, the audience found her also very effective. The Flower Maidens and Celestial Choirs are choral highlights in an opera hard to stage, here in Bayreuth who could do these passages better? I doubt anyone. 

Said choirs moved me near to tears, the orchestra bounded through this bulk of an opera with reverence and power. Conductor Pablo Heras-Casado did not rush this work and it may have felt a little long in parts, but often the momentum was there and it glistened. 

So, I head home with a broken back due to the famously stiff seats (they make you sit bolt upright) and some of a militant and highly unfriendly audience (some were lovely, honest). I may not return again to the Bayreuth Festival for these reasons, yet the stellar musicianship and artistic displays are always worth the journey. 

Bayreuth Festival will continue in 2027. 

(4 / 5)

One thing Wagner made clear. There would never be performances of his Rienzi in Bayreuth. An earlier work from his canon, there have been versions with various lengths and changes. For the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Bayreuth Festival, ‘Rienzi, the last of the Tribunes’ has been seen and heard for the first time. It’s all very exciting.

I knew not the music, bar the loved overture (the first ever piece of music at the Sir Henry Woods Proms) which can easily been forgotten out of the rest of the canon. There is a shadow which looms over the score, not quite the Wagner most know, the latter darker ventures. There is a leaning on Grand French opera, Wagner’s teacher Meyerbeer a good example of this style. The story is also relatively simple, even with the typical Wagner length of four hours (there appears to be a version as long as The Mastersingers of Nuremberg – 4 hours, forty minutes). Rienzi rises in popularity; this is actually a person from history: Cola di Rienzo from the 14th Century. 

He advances in the polls and earns the Tribune position in Rome. Through dodgy dealings and a lot of Shakespearian murk, there is an inevitable to the story. History never changes. Through this brand-new production at the festival, we get a contemporary twist with touches of Trump, the Titus film from Julie Taymor, Arturo Ui and a whole lot of spin. Given the change and setting of now, it’s an absorbing, at times fun and intimate outing. Though the scale of this opera rivals much of his later, moody output, Wagner creates many vast plateaus for the chorus. They own many wads of this opera.

Directors Alexandra Szemerédy and Magdolna Parditka (also making set and costume) have taken risks and set it in what appears to be today’s world of piercing political duality. The extensive overture sees Rienzi lose a child of his, this grief then permeates the entire opera, tragically effecting his career. The elongated ballet sequence in act two, a staple of Paris opera (with even Wagner’s cheeky changes in other opera caused riots), is a joy here. I didn’t expect this serious audience to be laughing the way they did, as said ballet was a wonderful send up of Bayreuth itself. 

The chorus watch vaudevillian parody of most of Wagner’s operas. Some of the chorus mock us as an audience running about at intermission trying to use the toilet, eat pretzels and make sure their heels stay on their feet. I loved all this, even through its silliness. The event that this was at in the opera would suggest a Met Gala do. Many statements about power and wealth are dripping in this. Its Video work frequently alludes to fascist imagery and news reels. Severe concrete and militaristic attire are the main stays of the set and dress.  

As for the cast, chorus and orchestra, everything is matched near perfect to perfection. I’ve spoken of the many passages for the chorus, who’s emotional depth is touching, nearly profound. Other highlights include the harps (Wagner uses them so scarcely), bells and even an organ into the fold. The orchestra, under the baton of Nathalie Stutzmann glistened and glowed in this mighty piece. This may not have been written for this famous opera house, but the sound thanks to the impeccable acoustic and the finest musicians made this a treat to the ears.

(4 / 5)

Photo credit: Bayreuth Festival

It’s been a whole twelve years since I’ve attended the Bayreuth Festival in Germany. Seen as a pinnacle for opera lovers world-wide, tickets are highly sought after. There are always scandals, I’m thinking back to the head turning Ring Cycle I saw back in 2014 directed by Frank Castorf. This year’s Ring staging saw booing and disapproval due to the use of Artificial Intelligence, though I’ve heard it before and it does not take much to set them off. There are bold stagings and then some! Yet with seats that are notoriously uncomfortable (as Richard Wagner intended) and audiences on the much stricter side, could I make it through the other side? 

This Flying Dutchman is the second this year for me after the Welsh National Opera fare. Here tackled by Dmitri Tcherniakov, get gaze upon a town of limited al space and constant atmosphere. Sets by also by Tcherniakov would conjure up the model sets to a British viewer Trumpton, moments are highly cinematic a la Ari Aster’s Hereditary. The celebratory scene in the conservatory dining room is vivid, and a snapshot of how this story might have gone down today. 

Directors attempt to changes accepts of an opera now. Whilst there are risks here, they work for the most part. The cascading overture features a woman and her child shunned for her fling with a worker, ending with her hanging herself on stage. This was all in the first ten minutes. The ending would drastically tweak things, though it’s clear the curse has been lifted, even with only one half of the tragic duo of Senta and The Dutchman getting a shock death. There isn’t a clear Nordic setting in this outing, some costume choices would evoke the contemporary scene, and the workers don’t appear to have any specific profession. 

The singers and musicians are on vividly top form. World class even. Conductor Oksana Lyniv is a rare lady conductor and listening in the pit (which is famously blocked from the audience’s sight) the storm and intrigue, jealousy and redemption all shone through. The chorus are also exceptional, their reputation also unbounded. With the gaggle of sewing women (here they are instead having a singing lesson), male workers with little to do, or the ghostly Dutchman’s crew, they adapt into these roles too easily. 

Captain Deland is a near to perfect Mika Kares, a bass-baritone has been excelling with his Hagen at Bayreuth. He can make things softer, the gloss of the voice often rings. Senta is Elisabeth Teige, with parker coat and coloured highlights it’s an extremely stroppy take. Her gutsy aria is earthy; her range is considerable and not without colour. Eric, the eye rolling ex-lover of Senta is Benjamin Bruns. This helden-tendor role is intense for its brevity, the constant bickering with Senta make him very one sided. Bruns takes on the role with a breeze and flow. 

Mary the mistress in sewing expertise is given more of a role than just one scene she appears. Nadine Weissmann’s mezzo is friendly, if not always digestible. Her silence in the dinner scene (she is cleverly in a relationship with Deland) speaks volumes and her actions in the finale are what made this new take kin the part quite devastating. 

Kieran’s Carrel is the sleepy Steersman who in the opening act loiters around a bar with other “sailors”. Some raising vocals make this small part often cherished. The third act would see Carrel encouraged frippery conga lines (WNO also did similar) and staggered off perhaps to drink some more. Carrel is controlled in the role one that opens the first and third act.

Nicholas Brownlee is The Dutchman. I was unsure at times if he worked int the role. The audience thought so and I came round topped the idea. In stature and expression of voice, he is the man, demanding drama in phrasing and more tender moments for smoother appeal. I was taken with the response tonight; the audience loved it. That’s what I really wanted to hear. Now to Rienzi & Parsifal!

Bayreuth Festival continues till Aug 29, 2026.

There are some concerts where you leave talking about a particular solo or favourite piece. Then there are concerts that make you rethink what an orchestras purpose can be. The National Open Youth Orchestra’s concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Wales Millennium Centre was very much the latter.

NOYO is the world’s first disabled-led national youth orchestra, bringing together talented disabled and non-disabled young musicians from across the UK. For Cardiff, this orchestra has a special connection. The city is home to one of NOYO’s regional ensembles, based at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Young musicians rehearse there throughout the year, building their confidence and musical skills before progressing to national performances like this one.

Since its launch in 2018, the National Open Youth Orchestra and its partners have successfully established a programme for young disabled musicians to develop their skills at an advanced level, offering accessible ensemble practice and performance opportunities in five regions. Alongside young musicians, the orchestra has pushed the boundaries of contemporary classical music, inspiring composers with a new range of instrument sounds and showing it could help widen audiences for contemporary classical music through relaxed performances. All National Open Youth Orchestra musicians have come through the ranks of five regional NOYO Ensembles, which are delivered through major partnerships in London, Bournemouth, Bristol, Birmingham and Cardiff.

The concert celebrated what an orchestra can become when accessibility is treated as part of the creative process rather than something added afterwards. Alongside violins, brass and percussion were electronic instruments such as the Clarion, played on an iPad. Rather than feeling unusual, they blended naturally into the orchestra’s sound, creating colours and textures that felt completely at home.

It’s easy to forget just how much work goes into a performance like this. Speaking about the tour, Cardiff NOYO member Josh Phelps, explained that preparation had started months before the concert.

“Since September, we have done three in-person rehearsals in Bristol, Birmingham and London. We spent four days together on a residential course over Easter as well as several online sessions.”

Asked what had stood out most, his answer was refreshingly simple.

“I’ve most enjoyed performing in prestigious venues, giving the premiere of The Orchestra: A Young Person’s Guide and seeing audiences enjoying our concerts.”

That enjoyment was obvious in Cardiff. There was a warmth between the players that couldn’t be rehearsed. Smiles were exchanged after solos, musicians encouraged one another throughout the performance and there was a genuine feeling that everyone on stage wanted each other to succeed. It created an atmosphere that was impossible not to respond to as an audience member.

The concert also highlighted another side of NOYO that often goes unseen. Daisy Evans, a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, supports delivery of the Cardiff NOYO sessions and spoke about how working with the orchestra has shaped her own career.

Daisy explained that before joining NOYO she had worked in inclusive music-making and instrumental teaching, but the orchestra had allowed her to develop those skills in a professional orchestral environment. She has arranged music to suit different learning styles, conducted everything from classical repertoire to film music and improvisation, and worked one-to-one with musicians to ensure they can take part in rehearsals in ways that work best for them.

During this tour Daisy supported a musician performing on the Clarion, helping with setting up the instrument, following colour-coded notation during rehearsals and providing support during the performance itself. Sometimes that support was practical. Sometimes, she said, it was simply offering a reassuring smile after a solo.

After the Cardiff performance she asked some of the musicians how they had felt. One admitted to being nervous before walking on stage, but said those nerves disappeared once the music started.

For Daisy, that’s what makes live performance so important.

She believes making music together creates opportunities for young people to build friendships, express themselves and communicate in ways that don’t always rely on words. For many musicians, those shared experiences can be just as valuable as the performance itself.

That sense of belonging ran through the whole evening. The partnership with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales never felt like experienced professionals leading from the front. Instead, it felt like musicians sharing a stage, learning from one another and celebrating what could be achieved together.

Too often conversations around accessibility focus on what people can’t do. NOYO quietly turns that conversation around. It simply presents brilliant young musicians making ambitious music at the highest level, with the support and technology that allow everyone to contribute fully.

The centrepiece of the evening was The Orchestra: A Young Person’s Guide by Charlotte Harding, arranged by Liam Taylor-West, read by Niamh Moriarty .Inspired by Britten’s famous guide to the orchestra, this felt like a work written for today’s generation. Every section had its moment, but more importantly every musician seemed to have a place within the story the music was telling.

Thanks to NOYO for giving us permission to reproduce this below, a wonderful illustration of the power of culture and access working hand in hand.

The Orchestra: A Young Person’s Guide, Charlotte Harding, arr. Liam Taylor-West

I – Particles

It moves the energy in the air,
Particles, frequencies, vibes, sync into our skin, our bones, our hearts, our souls,
Waves of potential – traditional, experimental –
Enliven our senses through notes and tones,
That are heard, performed, composed, evolved by this unique sonic formula …
This is our orchestra.

II – Individuals

So this orchestra, it’s the sum of its parts,
Vibrations start with individual,
Bows, breaths, valves, keys pressed,
Strings, sticks, the flick of a switch,
And in this orchestra, everyone fits.

III – Sections

From individuals to aural connections,
When instruments come together, they unify into sections,
Winds, brass, percussion, electronics, strings, keys,
Melodic, homophonic, bass lines, voices, textures, beats,
There’s strength in numbers; we’re players in a team …

IV – Palettes

From individuals, to sections, to an orchestral palette …

… of kaleidoscopic colours that can paint and inhabit,
Realities, dreams, stories on a screen, variations on a theme; blue, red, yellow, green,
A portal to worlds of imagination, or a personal key for emotional articulation …

V – Tutti

This orchestra echoes the past, sounds in the present,
It’s creating a future sonically incandescent,
It’s a symphonic celebration of all that we are,
An open invitation to all play our part,
A universal language of joy and endeavour,
That moves us most when we are tutti, together.

NOYO play Bristol Beaon as part of this tour and the performance will be available to listen to from BCC Radio 3 here

You can find out more about the work of NOYO here

The National Open Youth Orchestra, the world’s first disabled-led youth orchestra, kicked off their summer tour at London’s Barbican Centre with musicians from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. 

https://youtu.be/BxhT-IqWr4Q?si=dI87FErmB_Wh-fAZ

The next step on the tour is Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff on 30th July, 3pm 

Up to twenty brilliant disabled and non-disabled young musicians from the National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO) join guest players from BBC NOW in a concert that redefines what a modern orchestra can be.

Expect a dazzling mix of instruments, from strings and brass to accordion, harp and electronic sounds, creating a soundworld that’s bold and fresh. Don’t miss their vivid performance of selections from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, and their joyful take on Florence Price’s Juba Dance, complete with swanee whistle! Michael Betteridge’s electrifying Soaring Through Sparks stars soloist Alessandro Vazzana, who plays the Clarion electronic instrument using head movement.

https://youtu.be/mF7TnNOTVI0?si=Pvnm8lHrHezgvWBW

This will be a concert full of heart, with NOYO performing Oliver Cross’s Barriers, a moving tribute to disabled musicians. Under the theme #ThisIsOurOrchestra, everyone has a part to play, on stage and in the audience, as musicians unveil a new co-commission by Charlotte Harding, created in partnership with the BBC.

https://youtu.be/iWrDV1hOfQc?si=TQMZTKmsYK_BcMfW

This relaxed performance is suitable for all, including neurodivergent and disabled audiences, and families.

You can find out more and book tickets at the link here

(4 / 5)

It was touch and go if I was going to make it London from Wales. I’m glad I made it just about and was rewarded with a treat of a concert. American violinist Elena Urioste might not be know to us in the UK as she should, yet the playing tonight was compelling and subtle.

An Essay of Love would be a lockdown commission from Mark Simpson, a tightrope between gentle discord and seething ambiance. Sospiri by Elgar was a treat, folk like flutters in the piano, played all with force all night by husband Tom Poster. Elena gets rich, typically English wafts in a special little gift of a piece. Rebecca Clarke and her Midsummer Moon from 1924, was effectively modern in the sense of execution and intent. Between impressionism and expressionism, it was fascinating to hear its alluring sensibility.

Most wonderfully Mozart was next with the Vioin Sonata in B flat, as I venture to Salzburg the following morning. I will write more of old Wolfgang in the coming months. Here the husband and wife duo captured the tumbling cheek and witty trick it demands. Always a mood lift and often profound Mozart rarely disappoints. Clarice Assad’s Emotiva opened the first half, interesting sound world and I want to hear it once more. Tanzlied des Pierrot from Korngold’s Die tote Stadt is a rarity and a very pretty one. It really captures the mood perfectly of loving musings, Korngold who fled Europe for the U.S. wrote well for the instrument, his Violin Concerto as another fine example.

Richard Strauss ended with his very own Violin Sonata in E flat. I wondered if this did sound like him? Best known for his operas, tone poems and lieder, I wouldn’t say I felt his style in this. Yet, with the demanding bravado for both, its rhapsodic urgency and the finely crafted structure it is a standout. Strange little bowing nods for Elena and hammering, feverish play for Tom assault the ears, but it is never overdone. Whilst we may not think of the German composer in this type of piece, it was in a sense rather barnstorming.

An encore of Mel Bonis, a French composer finally getting her due, was a wink to a new CD out the next day. I’ll allow it!

(4 / 5)

What is a lullaby? We have ideas and famous musical pieces to give this an answer. Yet, how to we continue to perceive this style and honour it with newer creations?

Here comes Tamsin Waley-Cohen on violin and Cordelia Williams on piano, to answer this question with considerable breadth. Arriving at the space, we heard gurgles of babies as sparkly lamps would suggest a night light for younger ones. Beginners was Spiegel I’m Spiegel by Arvo Pärt. Still going strong in his 90s, this is one of Pärt’s most cherished creations.

Tamsin captured the reverence and stoney stillness it demands, Cordelia on piano got the scales through and they can feel like a fine partnership. Brahms’ Wiegenlied is truly his most famous creation and one of the most recognisable works of music today. His lullaby is arranged here by both players, and an all-round sense of serene cheer comes over the stage. It might be considered easy to play, naturally I doubt this is true.

Dvořák and his Songs My Mother Taught Me, another fitting tribute. Filled with evocative Czech allure, again Tamsin brings her all, her sense of control over the violin. I grew up playing the same and found it a nightmare to really work at. Seeing her play is a reminder why you should keep going. A world premiere from Freya Waley-Cohen, sister to Tamsin, in a four-thousand-year-old Babaloyinan text. A mother comforts her baby who cries, this little piece was sweet and will see more outings, I’m sure. Scriabin’s Nocturne in F sharp was expectedly moody, the Russian composer often in a sensual realm of expressivity.

John Cage is a rare delight to hear live, and his own Nocturne was no different. Very folk like in writing, with many different techniques for Tamsin to try, as Cordelia gets further strange structures on the keys. The Lullaby by Schubert is curious, touching in its offering, yet slight. Hearing the full Fantasie in C was the big, meaty finale. Tamsin played with a passionate zeal, seeing swooping moments, with a rich, romantic fibre demanded of Schubert. Moments of dance, smiles and reflection all ring here. Cordelia is a fine, clear accomplice, you sense the warm connection between her and Tamsin. An encore of Schumann would lull us off into our day. 

(3 / 5)

Any trip to the Southbank should be spent with the RPO. Even more noteworthy was their concert the day prior in Bristol, which got the premiere for the UK by Joe Hisaishi. With the rest of the programme all Russian, how would this concert fare?

Opening with Ilse of the Dead by Rachmaninoff, conductor Vasily Petrenko introduced the music with his usual dry humour and insight. I can take or leave some Rachmaninoff, this is in the later for me. Inspired by the painting of the same name, there is an effect of mood and dread, yet it never really mingles with much more than mediocre. Hating to write like this, but this is the truth. Yet, with the Royal Phil and Petrenko the playing is always tight and played with conviction.

Joe Hisaishi is best known for his scores for Miyazaki’s timeless animations. In what sounded like great fun, The Border, Concerto for 3 Horns and Orchestra got its first London outing. I’ll say it felt very hushed at the start, the melody for the horns was stringy, with no grab. Said horns are Ben Hulme, Katy Woolley & Alexander Edmundson, who are musically solid in their roles. Moments where they disconnected their mouths pieces of the horns, to sing into them was a nice touch. The through line mostly felt John Adams like in nature, with bouncy and pounding passages. I was mostly unwowed by it, yet with Hisaishi as RPO’s Composer-in-Association there are chances to hear more.

Petrenko speaking of Scriabin in the first half, informed us of his talent and vision as a composer. Had Scriabin finished his Mysterium, it would have been the greatest work of art every created, an artistic apocalypse. Fate would play his hand and the composer would die young of blood poisoning. His 3rd Symphony is dubbed ‘The Divine Poem’ and has many hallmarks of his style. Saying this, the ecstatic, feverish energy we often attribute to the Russian composer are here, yet are muted. Nearly fifty minutes in length, it is hefty and I think some might struggle with it. He was obsessed with light and the sun, moments would prove this, aside angst and passions. Later, manic work of Scriabin would attract me more, though some moments in here suggested the violence and colour of what was to come and what could have truly been.

This concert will air on BBC Radio 3 on 14th July 2026 at 7:30pm and on BBC Sounds for 30 days after broadcast.