CBSO / Andris Nelsons / Jonas Kaufmann - Symphony Hall Birmingham, 7 March 2012

What’s in the middle of Birmingham but surrounded by sea?
Jonas Kaufmann!
The CBSO’s very, very special guest was placed at the centre of Wednesday evening’s programme, and rightfully so. Before him came Britten’s Sea Interludes; after, Debussy’s La Mer.
But let’s not pretend this was a mere guest soloist spot. With ten songs on the programme (eleven if you count the encore) we received a more bountiful helping of Herr Kaufmann than many an orchestrally-grouted recital programme provides.
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Tristan und Isolde - CBSO / Nelsons - Symphony Hall Birmingham, 3 March 2012

Forget staged, semi-staged or even notionally visual. The singers were lined up behind their music stands. The conductor was confined to a chair. This was a static Tristan und Isolde, even by concert version standards. But four enthralling hours proved that sometimes the music really is all that matters.
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Madama Butterfly Royal Opera House, 25 June 2011

Some of the critiques of Christopher Alden's A Midsummer Night's Dream might kid you momentarily into thinking there's something new about a manipulative paedo on the opera stage.
And then you remember Madama Butterfly.
Continue reading "Madama Butterfly flaps again" »
LSO / Andris Nelsons / Viktoria Mullova - Barbican, 30 September 2010

Is there anything Andris Nelsons can't do? The programme wasn't entirely inspiring, there were fallibilities in communication, but even so, his LSO debut wasn't far short of fabulous.
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CBSO / Nelsons - Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 16 September 2010

Was it worth travelling all the way to Birmingham and back for just 90 minutes of music? You bet.
The CBSO kicked off their season and their Mahler cycle with the 8th Symphony. A cast of 600 filled the stage and the choir stalls and stretched around the side galleries.
Continue reading "Mahler 8 in Birmingham" »
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