(5 / 5)

My first encounter with Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen was back in 2023 with the Royal Opera’s Tannhäuser. Even with a ropey set of singers, Davidsen shone through proving to be the star of the night. And a star she remains, after her breakout Isolde, opera houses and concert halls are fighting over her.

Even in Wigmore a semi-intimate space, Davidsen in this total set of Schubert reached heights not heard for some time. Audiences and critics really seem to love her, everything is in place. It’s the mood of her voice, perfect for Wagner and German lieder too. It is rare to hear such a thing today. The word effortless has been said a lot and it’s true. Gliding patters, deeply affectionate phrasing and her immaculate pacing are many standout skills of Davidsen. I’m already hearing Kundry, Elsa and Senta, adding to more perfect Wagner characteristics.

These many songs from Schuburt prove his might as a composer. It is one of music’s great losses to have had him die so young. Modesty, reflection, heartbreak, faith, glory and resignation are many of his whirlpool themes, thanks to Goethe and other sharp writers. ‘Gretchen am Spinnrade’ shes the character from Faust linger over love and lose focus on her spinning wheel, the piano cleverly mimicking the later. I should also say on piano, James Baillieu is a worthy contender for these treks, youthful and highly coloured.

The ‘Death and the Maiden’ song would naturally nod to the famous string Quartet and doesn’t quite set the tone for that, but is serious in its dread. ‘Lachen und Weinen’ asks the question of why laughter in the day and tears at night? ‘Der blinder Knabe’ details a young boy, though blind finds contentment in life anyway. The famous and perhaps over done ‘Erlkönig’ is a stirring as ever, though I may have seen it acted better. A father dismisses his son’s vision of a spirit whilst they are on horseback, leading to a stinging finale.

‘Erlkönig’ remains one of Schubert most famous leider, certainly one of his masterpieces. Hammering piano, galloping horses, disturbing supernatural vocal lines and a real sense of the Gothically operatic. ‘Die junge Nonne’ remains holy with further opera and a resounding religious fever. ‘Am Tage allergy Seelen’ was the send off (we were soon gifted two marvellous encores) in what proved to be a a highlight of the year. Lise Davidsen is on the rise and rightfully so!

Listen on BBC Sounds for 30 days after airing live and to be released on Decca label in the future.

Photo credit: Pete Woodhead 

(4 / 5)

My last flutter in London would be a third and final night at the Southbank Centre for further Multitudes fare. In what might have been the most fascinating piece out of these events comes great power and also flaw. The London Philharmonic Orchestra have truly had remarkable, crushing moments in Alban Berg’s Wozzeck, an opera not for the faint of heart. This for me, is a first in opera, where the experiments made in the pit and voices meets the dramatic tension of the narrative. Berg was rather clever and his atonal scores remain an alluring mystery. 

I often look back at the Olivier Award winning, Welsh National Opera production from Richard Jones, the first new feat at the Wales Millennium Centre. My intro to the opera has never left me and the horrendous sense of dread and pain in this never leaves you. Conductor Edward Gardener is such a good man, young at heart and firm on the podium. For this remarkable feat, this one off concert would crackle and blast thanks to the vast orchestra. Any one familiar with the play Woyzeck by Georg Búchner, will know the story, Werner Herzog’s film version echoes this. 

This spirit tearing drama is in three tight acts, roughly ninety minutes straight through. Wozzeck the solider is pushed around by all who know him: the Captain, his Doctor, his wife Marie and many others. Treated like muck, he never catches a break, his mind breaks and after discovering Marie has cheated on him with the Drum Major, only bad things could happen. As the title character, Stéphane Degout is dark and a ticking time bomb, the baritone role is bloody hard work for anyone who dares. Annette Dasch as Marie had moments of seduction yet I feel she was over shadowed here (we will come on to the video side of things shortly). Another dense role, Dasch comes and goes in the plot, she shone in the horrendous murder scene in the last act. I shall discuss supporting role shortly. 

My heart sunk when seeing some of the promotional material for the video work for Wozzeck: Wretches Like Us. Ilya Shagalov and co-creator Nina Guseve have taken a gamble and this has not reaped reward. A slideshow of artificially generated imagey was not on my bingo cards to see at the opera this year. It would appear that AI is becoming such a homestay in our culture. I’m worried about this. The lack of creativeness, the environmental issues and more. Most of these slides saw a contemporary take as Wozzeck is doing various key worker roles, as we see council houses and other British culture staples. Photos as film maker Chris Marker might be envisioned or perhaps the raw, grunginess of Richard Billingham. I was left cold by most of it, amazing how so much AI material is made online, you just don’t want to know. Some of the subtitles were not visible at moments due to the frequency of the image change and the colour of the words. 

A large cast got down and dirty in this operatic masterpiece. Peter Hoare is always a great comedic Captain, a role he has done for years. A sour Doctor from a rough and strict Brindley Sherratt is another fine supporting part. Christopher Ventris is the seducing Drum Major, Eriik Grøtvedt as Andres is the worried friend of Wozzeck, singing with a rising determination. Margret played by Kitty Whately was catty and nosey, as the brief neighbour, vocally quite refined and the wittering sprechgesang also wonderful. Adrian Thompson gets a disquieting solo as The Fool, one highlight of many in this mini opera. The London Voices are bar patrons and their ladies too, got on as a harsh and vengeful mob. The Tiffin Boys Choir break our hearts with the final scene, which remains unforgettable. Just no to AI, if you please! 

Mulituides continues till 30th April 2026. 

Image Credit: Pete Woodhead

(4 / 5)

This first trip of the Southbank Center’s Multitudes 2026 festival was for me, familiar fare and a new creation. Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about film screening with a live orchestra. With Fritz Lang’s Metropolis getting its century next year, I think we really should be seeing more of these.

Leading to this opening concert, the fittingly named 1927 Studios got their collab on with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for a wonderful take on Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie. 1927 Studios are best remembered for their expressionistic Magic Flute, seen in Edinburgh and beyond. Their love of early cinema is second to none and they seen to get away with what they do. Taking Messiaen’s symphony on face value, the Tristan myth is the narrative fabric of their film work. I did wonder if Turangalîla had the capacity to be a camp classic. 1927 Studios prove this!

We are treated to a time capsule, a faithful recreation of cinema gone by. Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin comes to mind, a rare thing in cinema today to honour the past in such a way. Many of these trappings are cleverly featured on screen. We get all the stagey, awkward acting, character glaring at the camera and old timey intertitles. The frequent orbs, colour fading and screen wipes are fun. The leading actors are always highly effective: a dashing Jake Cecil and a brooding Esme Appleton as the Celtic couple destined to doom. All supporting actors got the memo about how to Jam it up in a odd thing like this and there were several laughs abound. The animation of Paul Barritt and and Francesco Roych never takes itself to seriously with flowers, frolicking and fornication, all relevant to the themes and setting. Their cut-out fairy-sprites design would fittingly suggest Dada and naturally Monty Python all springs to mind as well.

Image Credit: Pete Woodhead

Whilst the film was noteworthy, I must also say how well done the orchestra and soloists were. Conductor Vasily Petrenko always delivers and in this massive, outrageous work, he appears to excel. Sad to see these amazing musicians dimmed on stage, yet the glowed with a radiance this silly piece demands. The percussion is worthy, a battery on the stage. The winds and brass get many alarming, bombastic passages, often thrilling, always incredible. The strings astound with vigour and tenderness, Indian melodies meld with piercing romance. The beauty of Messiaen is his juxtaposition as well as variety of styles. On piano, Steven Osborne got mighty moments, absurd drama in slamming and flutters on these keys. The ondes Martentot, the early electronic instrument made famous by Messiaen (and later the band Radiohead), was here from Cécile Lartigau. This must be a delight to play on ondes, its range vast, its joy unbounded. Lartigau played it with graceful ease, you don’t require a virtuosic scope for the instrument, I’d imagine. But it is always wonderful, I’d say a rare thing, yet we hear it now in concert and films most often.

Multitudes continues at the Southbank Centre till 30th April 2026.

(4 / 5)

Sundays in London are naturally dreary. Yet, you can always reply on Wigmore Hall for three concerts at the end of the week. What would prove most alluring is an evening slot with two musicians who have worked together for three decades.

Looking at both Jean-Guihen Queyras & Alexandre Tharaud you would not think this, as they appear quite young in appearance. Their playing matches this, cello and piano has never been so alive. A first half of Poulenc’s Suite françise was the starter and delighted with the slight wisp of irony. Cherry and also at times alarming, the delights never wain. Kurt Weill and his Youkali (arranged by both Queyras and Tharaud), is an attempt at the exotic, for place that is made up. Lyrics would be added later to Youlali, but it was evocative and played with heart by both.

Jean Wiéner and the Sonata for cello and piano is a discovery for me. Aspects of convention mingle with the discordant, in a often sharp, generous piece. Tharaud on piano was alert, with just as many hoops as Queyras faces. We need to hear more! The second half would be mostly straight through a roster of composers spanning three hundred years, at least. Alban Berg’s Vier Stücke was heavy to lead on with, though dynamic, a hypnotism to the ear. Schubert cleansed the pallet thanks to his Adagio from Arpeggione Sonata, musicaly smiling. Britten’s Cello Sonata saw highlights (the first and fifth movments), bouncy, serious and very much shared efforts between both.

Marin Marais was a breif detour to the baroque, the prelude from Suite No. 1 in D mi or (another arrangement by tonight’s players). A delight, which lead to French fare thanks to Debussy’s Cello Sonata prologue and familar Fauré in Sicilienne and Papillon. The Debussy was well met with the Marais, the Fauré is some of the most known, pleasent if a little clichéd. Would Bach have also faired well here? Ending with a handful of the 21 Hungarian Dances from Brahms (more arrangements), the first, seventh and the eternal fifth. All special and the famous fifth got both players over acting for laughs, which was great. Jean Guihen Queyras on cello is special, his destiny is to play it and he does so very well. The grandeur, the ease, the style!

Photo credit: Julian Guidera/LPO

(4 / 5)

Beethoven and his impact has never gone away. How do artists today still react and honour him? What came next with the London Philharmonic Orchestra was a UK premiere from Tan Dun: Choral Concerto: Nine.

Originally meant to be heard in 2020, we are finally hearing Dun’s inspiration of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. This melding of ancient Chinese poetry and the German composer comes a work, which on first glance felt uneven, weightless and a little clichéd. We hear quotes from said symphony, the wise words of Lao Zi, Li Bai amongst others, who unite nature with our humanity. All this should perfectly pair with the words of Schiller in the Beethoven. Written for the same forces as the 9th, this technically in not true as there is from Dun’s demands) a fascinating array of percussion: massive drums, stones, tubular bells and more.

Each movement is dubbed ‘Jiu’ in the Chinese, yet each has it’s own translation in order of: ‘Nine’, ‘Wine’ and ‘Time’. The united forces of the London Philharmonic Choir and London Chinese Philharmonic Choir got to whisper, meow, lip smack and mediate on other transient actions. As the piece went on, it built momentum and had the ideal of a fun, focused work. The image alone, of Dun’s hands in a state of prayer, before conducting his own piece may have been the most profound moment.

It is no bold claim that Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, also dubbed the ‘Choral’, is considered the greatest off all symphonies. The punch in the face of its impact never wains, Dun was back to conduct and still spry in his mature years. Elegantly performed, the LPO not afraid to get down and dirty in moments of raw, heavy metal emotion. The four soloists of Elizabeth Watts, Hongni Wu, John Findon and Matthew Rose (replacing Dingle Yandell) sat below the organ console with the chorus. They felt quite far back, more than I would have liked, such is the awkwardness of having soloists pop into an hour long piece in its last third. All sung graciously, Rose as understudy, opened with a towering directness. The Ode to Joy was soaring and touching, even if I most likely heard it better before. Thorough its thoughtful pleasantries, cascading melodies, brooding tones and jubilant send off, I’m proud to say this is one of my all time favourites. 

Photo credit: Tanja Dorendorf 

(5 / 5)

I would take the plunge and travel overseas for the first time in a decade. In a frozen city, the Staatsoper Hamburg made a piece which got people talking, yet even more attention should have been brought its way. 

Monster’s Paradise is an astounding thing. The collaboration between Olga Neuwirth and Elfriede Jelinek goes back to the mid 90’s, including a surprise version of an opera based on David Lynch’s Lost Highway being noteworthy. I am new to their work and Monster’s Paradise is my chance to see what they do. Neuwirth’s score is so overwhelming in its references and utter violence. In the spirit of Ligeti, there is much humour and I was taken with the unrelenting use of percussion, with Lucas Niggli on drums as a soloist of brilliance. Seth Josel on electric guitar was another highlight in the pit. The orchestra with Titus Engel at the helm remained potent, going up to the pit as everyone was leaving, I was stunned with just how small the amount of players were, even out of tune pianos were included into the fold. 

With director Tobias Kratzer and co-director Matthias Piro, they embraced the deeply silly story and notched it up tenfold. With sets and costumes by Rainer Sellmzier, the total embrace of pop culture references held up as a universal truth. Disney Princesses, The Muppets and Godzilla are clear in their imagery here, no cause for concern with parody as a justified right. Naturally, the main head turn is the character of the Trump like persona Der König-Präsident, with many additional Oval Office trappings. 

With a libretto by Elfriede Jelinek (and additions from Neuwirth), it is razor sharp in its satirical and political cometary. Many acidic nods to both of Trumps terms and the infamous, in-between period are brought up and questioned severely. There are puns and even some I would have missed in the German, yet the near mythical and pop transformation of events are what really stand out. 

This all works immensely well, not taking itself too seriously and also questioning profound issues we have today. Two vampires Vampi and Bampi go across the world, trying to find ways to help and this is when they discover this manic President. Through the aid of the keiju, Gorgonzilla (one of the many puns!), a battle commences between good and evil, clever and stupid, nature vs destruction. The video work from Jonas Dahl and Janic Bebi, aside clever stage craft, is also a delight. There are Trump supporters depicted as Zombies, who also haunt the foyer during intermission. You wouldn’t get this done in the U.K. This much I know. 

The cast are total talent and everyone was perfect for their roll. Vampi and Bampi from Sarah Defrise and Kristina Stanek are our leading ladies of the whole opera. Many funny and touching moments with these two are the backbone. They even have doubles from Sylvie Rohrer and Ruth Rosenfeld who are used in showy was when the two are front and centre. As this twisted President, Georg Nigl stole the show any time he’s on. This is an immensely silly role and he took it with aplomb, singing with shrieks, shouting, attacks and whines. Inflation baby suits, a washboard tie and his golf buggy are some of the many hilarious props to the role. It was an immensely funny thing to see. 

Photo credit: Tanja Dorendorf 

Gorgonzola also got his double: Anna Clementi and in physical form from an amazingly committed Vanessa Konzok. The vast array of modulated sprechgesang through the entire role was shocking, Clementi really doing vocal fireworks. Mickey and Tuckey from countertenor Andrew Watts (I believe the only singer I’ve seen before here) and Eric Jurenas as both acidic wretched Disney icons, servants to their president. A surprising singer Ruben Drole who was not on stage enough, was Ein Bär, a bear in a physical manifestation of the America, often ravaged by his leader. A surprise turn from actress Charlotte Rampling seen on video, framing the stage in double, glistening form as The Goddess. The only extensive English language moments were here, with concerning verse over events on stage, not dissimilar to a Greek Chorus. 

I’m aware there is much more that could be said. I’m also savouring the amusing boxing match between The President and Gorgonzilla, the latter’s rattle used to great effect throughout the night, Melania as a lampshade and the Vampire dolls to show how tiny they are when they see the immense Gorgonzilla. The lucid electronics from Markus Roistering also season the pot, a children’s chorus is also briefly sweet towards the wrap up. The devastating end with Nancarrow like piano MIDI flurries couldn’t have been better. A little bit of trimming in length (two hours, forty five minutes with the break) might have faired better, though there are little quips from this impassioned critic. 

This should have been filmed or at the very least, live streamed for much more to see. It’s popularity both near and also far, has proven potent. 

Monster’s Paradise is staged at Opernhaus, Zurich from 8th March till 12 April, with Graz Opera, Austria dates to be confirmed.

Listen to Monster’s Paradise on the Opera Hamburg website.

Photo credit: Tristram Kenton

(2 / 5)

My support for English National Opera goes back nearly two decades. I’ve loved the passion, the commitment to the art of opera and music making. With recent setbacks and issues, I still need to support the company, yet I have some doubts…

This is an odd choice, Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany would be the latest premiere from the company. With Weill’s love of all thing’s cabaret and Brecht lectures for the audiences…it’s an often-heady mix. Directed by Jamie Manton, this is a stripped back show, with Brechtian sensibilities, one which typically vexes.

I found there to be several issues, I think the English translation let’s it down, it should be in German for that acidic pout of clever-told-you-so storytelling. ENO’s commitment to opera in English has always been the gold standard, yet not everything works. The humungous Coliseum may have proven to be two large for the opera intimacy, within many moments of the first two acts.

The City of Mahogany comes about as dessert delivery workers can go no further with their toil. They choose to set up in the wasteland, creating a utopian idyll where everyone is equal, at a price. A strange band of characters including Jimmy MacIntyre and his lover Jenny Smith make the city their home, though flaws fixate and unpaid debts cause fatal flaws in the city’s ideals. This is where Brecht gets to shine with his annoying storytelling parables. There are no prisoners for this lucid narrative, less about sharp character development and more social and political, issues of the day, now seen with fresh eyes – today.

Weill’s score is highly eccentric. With the addition of banjo, acoustic guitar, an under used saxophone, (I think I heard pianola at one point) and other fun additions, I do stand by this being an opera if highly unconventional in its vocal delivery and orchestra fibres. Many merry Oompa moments and toe tapping bars should appease, yet this is not always the case. The first part of the night with act one and two conjoined, felt like a slog and the intermission after the first act would have been graceful respite. The third act remains the most ‘operatic’ as the story finally gets some heightened momentum with Jimmy MacIntyre’s execution for unpaid whiskey bills and other heinous acts. Story wise, that’s pretty much it!

The chorus and orchestra of ENO are always a thrill and under the baton of new music director André de Ridder, I think there is little to be worried about. The concerns lie with an arts council who have openly chosen to comprise the company base of over ninety years in London, with Manchester flutters for their own Brech-like agendas. You can see this in the sets of Milla Clarke, though ‘alienation’ as a proven point, the set back on this funding would slash many ideals. There is good singing from Danielle de Niese, Simon O’Neill, Elgan Llýr Thomas, Mark Le Brocq and more. Some eccentric dancers would add to the fray in often bizarre and comical ways. My only regret is that I just wish I’d enjoyed this screwball rarity much more.

Side note: I should be off to Hamburg later this week for Monsters Paradise, another German twist on the American dream, where Trump will fight Godzilla. Now that. Is. Entertainment….

It runs till 20th Feb 2026