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Michael Roddy

Michael Roddy

Michael Roddy is a freelance journalist based in Ireland who formerly covered the arts and entertainment world, as well as general and economic news, for Thomson Reuters. He has interviewed many of the world's leading conductors, singers and composers and has covered and reviewed operas, concerts and festivals throughout Europe.

Author:Michael Roddy

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Vivaldi's Four Seasons as he never heard it delights Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 16 August 2024

Max Richter's Recomposed: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons is performed by the Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelsen and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

***11

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Vivaldi's Four Seasons as he never heard it delights Dublin

By Michael Roddy

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Out of this world: John Wilson conducts The Planets in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 01 March 2024

The National Symphony Orchestra play a miniature by short-lived French composer Lili Boulanger and the European premiere of Joe Chindamo's trombone concerto.

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Out of this world: John Wilson conducts The Planets in Dublin

By Michael Roddy

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Sheku Kanneh-Mason shines in thoughtful Elgar with National Symphony in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 19 January 2024

Jaime Martín concludes the programme with a powerful performance of Sibelius' Second Symphony.

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Sheku Kanneh-Mason shines in thoughtful Elgar with NSO

By Michael Roddy

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West Cork Chamber Music Festival bows out with brilliant Brahms

By Michael Roddy, 02 July 2023

A marathon chamber concert in Bantry ends in a glorious performance of Brahms String Sextet no. 2 in G major.

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West Cork Chamber Music Festival bows out with brilliant Brahms

By Michael Roddy

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Gerts' dark Rachmaninov brings NSO season to a close in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 26 May 2023

The Isle of the Dead and The Bells make gloomy bookends to the final concert of the season, but Mihhail Gerts makes a great case for both at the National Concert Hall.

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Gerts' dark Rachmaninov brings NSO season to a close in Dublin

By Michael Roddy

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Alena Baeva charms Dublin with gorgeous Brahms Violin Concerto

By Michael Roddy, 04 November 2022

The Russian violinist displays her love for Brahms' writing before Mihhail Gerts and the National Symphony romp through Strauss' Sinfonia domestica.

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Alena Baeva charms Dublin with gorgeous Brahms Violin Concerto

By Michael Roddy

Jackiw and Slatkin triumph with Beethoven in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 31 January 2020

An all-Beethoven tribute in Dublin worthy of any of the great music capitals of Europe.

*****

Jackiw and Slatkin triumph with Beethoven in Dublin

By Michael Roddy

A moving and spirited Gerontius in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 08 November 2019

Conductor Kenneth Montgomery shaped a high-energy performance that at times raised the roof and at others was poignant and moving.

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A moving and spirited Gerontius in Dublin

By Michael Roddy

Giltburg triumphs in Beethoven 4 with Stutzmann and RTÉ NSO

By Michael Roddy, 27 September 2019

Giltburg's playing was like liquid silver pouring out of the Steinway.

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Giltburg triumphs in Beethoven 4 with Stutzmann and RTÉ NSO

By Michael Roddy

Zehetmair and the Irish Chamber Orchestra shine in Britten and Beethoven at Kilkenny

By Michael Roddy, 16 August 2019

Violist Ruth Killius did double duty as page turner and violist with violinist husband Zehetmair in knockout Britten.

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Zehetmair and the ICO shine in Britten and Beethoven at Kilkenny

By Michael Roddy

Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time ends West Cork Chamber Music Festival in style

By Michael Roddy, 07 July 2019

British cellist Laura van der Heijden proved herself to be the sister of soul on the cello for the second night in succession.

*****

West Cork Chamber Music Festival ends in style

By Michael Roddy

A soulful Dvořák concerto from French cellist Victor Julien-Laferrière and the National Symphony Orchestra

By Michael Roddy, 24 May 2019

The young French cellist says he can't sing. But that didn't stop him producing a great cantabile performance for Dvořák's great crowd-pleaser.

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Soulful Dvořák from Victor Julien-Laferriere and the NSO

By Michael Roddy

Paradise in music: a glorious Verdi Requiem under Michele Mariotti in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 17 May 2019

Angela Meade shone in the soprano solo, beautifully backed by leader Tamas Kocsis, in the passage that segues into the stunning "Abraham thou didst promise" section.

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A glorious Verdi Requiem under Michele Mariotti in Dublin

By Michael Roddy

Rana brings energy and clarity to Bach in Amsterdam

By Michael Roddy, 06 April 2019

Ominous Bartók, polished Mozart and energetic Bach, all on a superb musical spring evening in Amsterdam.

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Rana brings energy and clarity to Bach in Amsterdam

By Michael Roddy

“Unicorn” clarinet spreads Saariaho's enchantment in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 08 March 2019

In Kaija Saariaho's clarinet concerto D'om le vrai sens, with Kari Kriikku as soloist, and Mahler's Symphony no. 7, masterfully conducted by Ilan Volkov, the RTÉ NSO enchant the audience in Dublin.

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“Unicorn” clarinet spreads Saariaho's enchantment in Dublin

By Michael Roddy

Irish composers shine in Dublin concert series

By Michael Roddy, 01 February 2019

Buckley's half-hour-long piece had the organ pouring forth volumes of notes in a molten flow of sound.

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Irish composers shine in Dublin concert series

By Michael Roddy

Britten's War Requiem receives a searing performance in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 09 November 2018

Ailish Tynan's powerful soprano soared above the massive forces of the choir in the thundering "Libera Me" – a wall of sound that blew the audience away.

*****

Britten's War Requiem receives a searing performance in Dublin

By Michael Roddy

Earthbound Planets but Serebrier première soars in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 28 September 2018

Kantorow had his work cut out for him, playing masses of cluster chords and arpeggios up and down the keyboard.

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Earthbound Planets but Serebrier première soars in Dublin

By Michael Roddy

Trevino leads powerful Mahler Second in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 14 September 2018

If there's any way to characterise Trevino's approach to Mahler, it is that he is neither bashful nor shy.

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Trevino leads powerful Mahler Second in Dublin

By Michael Roddy

Ibragimova thrills in Franck sonata in splendid Bantry closer

By Michael Roddy, 08 July 2018

Those concertgoers who tore themselves away from the beach could watch the glorious sunlight fade to dusk through the Bantry House Library's huge windows.

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Ibragimova thrills in splendid Bantry closer

By Michael Roddy

Hungarian State Opera's “Best of Ring”: Wagner highlights in Budapest

By Michael Roddy, 11 June 2018

This concert, with a running time of about two hours, was a lovely dip in the Rhine without the usual four-to-five hour Wagnerian full immersion.

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Wagner highlights in Budapest

By Michael Roddy

A powerful gale of sound in Budapest's Dutchman

By Michael Roddy, 08 June 2018

The battle of the choirs is a thrilling moment in just about any performance of Dutchman, but produces shock and awe in the live acoustics of Budapest's Bartok Bela Concert Hall.

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A powerful gale of sound in Budapest's Dutchman

By Michael Roddy

An uplifting Beethoven Ninth from an orchestra in peril

By Michael Roddy, 25 May 2018

It is unlikely that anyone went home from this soul-inspiring performance without that famous "Ode" ringing in his or her head.

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An uplifting Beethoven Ninth from an orchestra in peril

By Michael Roddy

Sounds of silence: Gerald Barry's Organ Concerto gets Dublin première

By Michael Roddy, 04 May 2018

Barry took the honours for OTT, while Asbury and the NSO's “Pathétique” went straight to the soul.

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Sounds of silence: Gerald Barry's Organ Concerto

By Michael Roddy

Storm Large and RTÉ NSO bring Weill's Seven Deadly Sins up to date

By Michael Roddy, 27 April 2018

Storm Large’s version of The Seven Deadly Sins provides a modern update of Weill and Brecht’s take-down of capitalism, misogyny and exploitation.

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Storm Large and RTÉ NSO bring Weill's Seven Deadly Sins up to date

By Michael Roddy

Powder Her Face revival is gloriously kinky in Dublin

By Michael Roddy, 06 March 2018

Top accolades go to soprano Mary Plazas, whose Duchess was at once despicable for her sense of entitlement and her racist and anti-Semitic views, and heartbreakingly vulnerable with her realisation at the end that "the only people who were ever good to me were paid for it".

*****

Powder Her Face is gloriously kinky in Dublin

By Michael Roddy