Intermezzo

Royal Opera House summer forecast - dry with hot patches

The hot ticket for the Royal Opera House's summer season is undoubtedly the will-she/won't-she booking of Angela Gheorghiu as Tosca. Even if she does deign to grace London with her presence, it will be for two nights only, 14 and 17 July, when she is joined by Jonas Kaufmann and Bryn Terfel and immortalised on DVD. Be warned Kaufmann's recent cancellation record is beginning to resemble Gheorghiu's, though at least in his case there's been audible evidence of genuine medical issues. If you're entering the Friends booking scrum tomorrow, grab these first (the second date has more availability) or you may find nothing left.  

A respectable cast featuring Martina Serafin, Marcello Giordani and Juha Uusitalo fleshes out earlier dates in the run, and Pappano conducts all but one show.

Running alongside it is Massenet's Cendrillon, from 5 July 2011. This Laurent Pelly mezzofest is new to Covent Garden and is worth taking in for the legendary Ewa Podles alone. Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote and token soprano Eglise Gutiérrez aren't shabby either.

Willy Decker's Peter Grimes returns on 21 June 2011. Ben Heppner is booked for the title role, though given his recent form I'd be surprised if he makes all dates. Amanda Roocroft, so impressive in the recent ENO production, is Ellen Orford. Andrew Davis conducts.

Leiser and Caurier's Madama Butterfly returns on 25 June 2011 with the serviceable Patricia Racette, James Valenti and Anthony Michaels-Moore, but more excitingly, Andris Nelsons in the pit. 

What I'm looking forward to most though is Luke Bedford's opera Seven Angels which makes its London debut in the Linbury Studio on 12 July after premiering in Birmingham on 17 June. No cast details yet.

Luke Bedford to be Wigmore Hall's first ever composer in residence

Luke Bedford is on a roll. Following his recent £45,000 Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award comes the announcement that he is to become the first ever composer in residence at the Wigmore Hall.

John Gilhooly, Director of Wigmore Hall said “Luke Bedford is an important young voice and a distinctive musical force, and we are very pleased that he has accepted our invitation to become our Composer-in-Residence from 2009. The position will involve composition as well as working with the Hall’s Community & Education programme.”

His latest commission Good Dream She Has, will be premiered by the BCMG on 14 April at the CBSO Centre. Well worth negotiating Birmingham's tricksy one way system for.

The score for his last commission, Wreathe, is temporarily available free (for study purposes only) here.

Luke Bedford - new work

On Monday, Radio 3 broadcast Luke Bedford's new orchestral work Wreathe, recorded in concert at the Wiltshire Music Centre.

Listen until 17 December here.

Luke Bedford wins big

Congratulations to all the winners (pictured above) of this year's Paul Hamlyn Foundation Awards, but especially to brilliant composer Luke Bedford (arrowed). His Or Voit Tout En Aventure was the unquestionable highlight of last year's new music crop.

His latest work will be premiered on December 7 at the Wiltshire Music Centre -- sadly I can't be there but I am so making the schlep to Birmingham on 14 April next year to check out his new BCMG commission.