Václav Luks and the OAE deliver creative colour and operatic scale in Haydn's Creation

Nick Pritchard, Václav Luks
& the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
© Mark Allan

Robin Johannsen (soprano, Gabriel & Eve)

Nick Pritchard (tenor, Uriel)

Krešimir Stražanac (bass-baritone, Raphael & Adam)

Choir of the Age of Enlightenment

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Huw Daniel (leader)

Václav Luks (conductor)

7pm, Wednesday 27 May 2026

Royal Festival Hall, London

★★★★

Haydn, Joseph (1732-1809): Die Schöpfung (The Creation), Hob. XXI:2

The Choir & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
© Mark Allan

'From the opening rumbling strings, joined by agile bassoon triplets, Luks created perfect mystery in the strange unresolved cadences ...The choir responded with a controlled pianissimo, giving the ‘shock’ of the forte arrival of 'Licht!' an appropriately impressive impact'.

'Tenor Nick Pritchard (Uriel) was the most directly communicative of the soloists, with commanding recitative, and a beautifully refined 'Mit Würd’ und Hoheit angetan', with delicate flute filigree'.

'Soprano Robin Johannsen (Gabriel and Eve) was a late change to the line-up, but her bright coloratura and fluttering tone were a delight, and her duets with Stražanac (now Adam) were sensitively characterised, as was his slightly mischievous Figaro-esque delivery'.

'What was most impressive was (the choir's) ability to work at speed, especially some of Luks’ most enthusiastic tempi'. 

Robin Johannsen
& the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
© Mark Allan

'Luks, the OAE, choir and soloists certainly brought the full range of Haydn’s ambitious masterpiece to life, while also demonstrating their ability to bring colour and nuance to the fore'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Glyndebourne's Saul still packs a punch 10 years on

Iestyn Davies (David) and the Glyndebourne Chorus
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photography by ASH

Jonathan Cohen (Conductor)

Barrie Kosky (Director)

Donna Stirrup (Revival Director)

Katrin Lea Tag (Designer)

Otto Pichler (Choreographer)

Merry Holden (Revival Choreographer)

Joachim Klein (Lighting Designer)

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Matthew Truscott (Leader)

Matthew Fletcher (Solo organ)

The Glyndebourne Chorus

Aidan Oliver (Chorus Director)

Sarah Brady (Merab)

Soraya Mafi (Michal)

Christopher Purves (Saul, Apparition of Samuel)

Iestyn Davies (David)

Linard Vrielink (Jonathan)

Liam Bonthrone (Abner, High Priest, Doeg, Amalekite)

Ru Charlesworth (Witch of Endor)

Lucy Alderman, Robin Gladwin, Lukas Hunt, Dominic Rocca, Nathan Ryles, Daisy West (Dancers)

Christopher Purves (Saul) & Linard Vrielink (Jonathan)
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photography by ASH

4pm, Sunday 8 June, 2025

Glyndebourne Opera House, Glyndebourne 

★★★★★

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759): Saul, HWV53

(Libretto by Charles Jennens (1700-1773)

'A decade on, it’s looking as fresh as a daisy'.

'Purves’ physical fitness is also impressive, managing to run in circles around the whole stage at one point, before delivering faultlessly controlled and effortless singing'.

Iestyn Davies:

'Right from his extended first entry on a gloriously blossoming "O", it was clear that his voice and presence matched that of Purves'.

Christopher Purves (Saul) & Ru Charlesworth (Witch of Endor)
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photography by ASH

'The chorus were on tremendous form, and ... they clambered up and down from high tables, played dead on the battlefield, rising up briefly like zombies, and dramatically delivered choruses from the very front of the stage at full throttle'. 

'Jonathan Cohen conducted the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with tight energy throughout, and moments for harp, organ and carillon shone through (hats off to the spinning organist (Matthew Fletcher) at the opening of Part 2)'.

'A visual and musical delight, and it hasn’t lost its impact and energetic spark in the intervening ten years'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Iestyn Davies (David)
© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photography by ASH

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.

Revelatory Schumann and bold Mendelssohn from András Schiff and the OAE

© Nadia F Romanini

Sir András Schiff (conductor/piano)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Mendelssohn: Overture, The Hebrides, Op. 26

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, 'Scottish'

Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54

Royal Festival Hall, London
Tuesday 10 November 2015

'As fresh and uncluttered by tradition as if we were hearing it for the first time'.

'A Schumann Piano Concerto that wasn’t beaten within an inch of its life ... but one with delicacy, life and boundless energy'.

'That sense of newness that Schiff said he was aiming for was well and truly nailed'.

'An incredibly intimate and touching performance'.

Read my full review on Backtrack here.

Jamie Barton the star of the OAE & Marin Alsop's all-Brahms evening: BBC Prom 62

© Chris Christodoulou

BBC Prom 62

Jamie Barton (mezzo-soprano)
Benjamin Appl (baritone)

Choir of the Enlightenment
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Marin Alsop (conductor)





Brahms:   Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80
                Rhapsody for alto, male chorus and orchestra, Op. 53 ('Alto Rhapsody')
                Triumphlied, Op. 55
                Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68

Royal Albert Hall, Tuesday 1 September 2015

'Mellow natural horns, together with straightforwardly bright trumpets gave a suitably bright energy to the OAE’s playing'.

'Barton had an authoritative presence on stage, and drew us in with her rich low notes and touching communication of Goethe’s anguished words of despair'.

'Jamie Barton emerged as the star of the evening'.

'Alsop judged the arc towards the final climactic accelerando well'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.