William Kentridge’s film Oh to Believe in Another World creates a subversively complex emotional landscape to accompany Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E Minor. Oh to Believe in Another World As I’ve established before, I’m no expert in classical music. In fact, I’m sometimes woefully unable to distinguish my Tchaikovsky from my Camille Saint-Saëns when it […]
Italian company Dewey Dell take on Stravinsky’s famous work The Rite of Spring in a production that takes direct inspiration from the animal kingdom. The Rite of Spring Today’s post is the second of three from the 2025 edition of MimeLondon. Moby Dick was the first production we saw from this ever-interesting curatorial project: although […]
Time in a Bottle by Leon Ko combines music with dioramas and scent to create a truly multisensory experience. Time in a Bottle Last week I had the great fortune to be in Hong Kong at the same time as HKPAX, the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo, was taking place. Even more exciting, this is […]
I defy anyone not to have fun at Släpstick: Schërzo, a raucous, clever and very skillful show where nothing in classical music is sacred. Släpstick: Schërzo I would be hard pressed to think of a better show to stage in Wilton’s Music Hall than Släpstick’s Schërzo. Or indeed a better venue for this show. Släpstick’s […]
Franz Liszt’s part–time residence in Budapest from 1876, the Royal Academy of Music’s Franz Liszt Memorial Museum provides an excellent opportunity to learn about his career as a piano virtuoso, composer and teacher. Liszt Ferenc, AKA Franz Liszt Before visiting the Franz Liszt Memorial Museum (Hungarian: Liszt Ferenc Emlékmúzeum), what I knew about Liszt could […]
Will I ever run out of versions of A Christmas Carol to see at Christmastime? It doesn’t look like it so far! This year it’s Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol and A Dickensian Christmas, both at the Southbank Centre. A Christmas Relapse I tried quite hard to avoid overdosing on A Christmas Carol this […]
A review of Nina Raine’s new play Bach & Sons, on at the Bridge Theatre and starring Simon Russell Beale. I learned a lot, despite wondering what the ‘point’ of the play was at times. A Learned Play About A Learned Man Long-time readers know that I don’t know a whole lot about classical music […]
A review of Handel & Hendrix in London. Musical neighbours, separated only by a wall and a couple of centuries. Handel And Hendrix – That’s A Strange Mix! Well yes, it is rather! But it is a self-selecting mix. George Frideric Handel lived in London from 1712 until his death in 1759. He moved into […]
A review of The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House. In which I feel very lucky to be able to forget about 2020 and enjoy some Christmas perfection. [Edit: especially in hindsight!] You Could Almost Forget It Was 2020 I know I often say on here that I’m fortunate to be able to see this […]
A review of a new series of concerts staged in Southwark Cathedral. In which the music was lovely but the social distancing not so great. And Now For Something A Little Different Having never been to Southwark Cathedral at all in my ten years of London living, I have now been twice in a couple […]
