Community Chorus is star in Glyndebourne's Agreed

Tom Scott-Cowell (Korimako) & Nazan Fikret (Elin)
© Robert Workman

Howard Moody (conductor)
Simon Iorio (director)
Cordelia Chisholm (designer)
Paul Pyant (lighting designer)


Tom Scott-Cowell (Korimako)
Nazan Fikret (Elin)
Michael Wallace (Alex)
Zara McFarlane (Kronos)
Louise Winter (Maya)
Ellyn Hebron (Spirit of Elin)




Community Chorus featuring Glyndebourne Youth Opera

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Glyndebourne Youth Orchestra

Ellyn Hebron (Spirit of Elin)
© Robert Workman

Anna Cooper (violin)
Adrian Zolotuhin (guitar)
Sura Susso (kora)
Buster Birch (udu)

Friday 1 March, 2019

Glyndebourne, East Sussex

★★★

Howard Moody: Agreed
(libretto: Anna Moody)

Sung in English with English supertitles

Zara McFarlane (Kronos) & Louise Winter (Maya)
© Robert Workman

'Moody’s music is atmospheric and watery'.

'The relentlessness of the watery music had the effect of dulling the pace somewhat, and particularly in Act 1, the dramatic energy was subdued'.

'The narrative ‘spirits’ ... moved seamlessly on and off stage, providing a stylistic counterpoint that was very effective'.

'Scott-Cowell (Korimako) and Fikret (Elin) convinced as the torn apart lovers, and their voices blended beautifully in their duets'.

The Community Chorus
 © Robert Workman

'The most credit must go to the chorus, who performed throughout with impressive commitment and accuracy'.


Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Passion and playfulness in an engaging programme from Joshua Bell and Sam Haywood

Joshua Bell, © Richard Ashcroft

Joshua Bell (violin)
Sam Hayward (piano)

Wednesday 27 February 2019

Barbican Hall, London

★★★★

Beethoven: Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23

Prokofiev: Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 94a

Grieg: Sonata No. 2 in G major, Op. 13

Encores: 

Clara Schumann: Three Romances, Op. 22 – No.1: Andante molto

Brahms: Hungarian Dances WoO1, No. 1 in G minor, arr. Joachim

Wieniawski: Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16

'Their Beethoven had spark and delicate simplicity, whilst their Prokofiev was full of bite and foot-stomping rhythms'.

Prokofiev: 

'Bell took flight with the circus acrobatics of the finale'.

Grieg:

'Bell and Hayward’s passionate performance was a delight'.

Schumann:

'Haywood's limpid opening supporting Bell's beautifully silky tone'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.