Composer: Schumann, Clara (1819-1896)

Only a few days ago, the newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made history and provoked frenzied headlines by forming his cabinet with an equal number of men and women.

Both a grand and intimate programme from Imogen Cooper, centred around the music of Robert Schumann. 

For many, the phrase “music competition” has an unsavoury ring to it. One thinks of the tearful children of pushy parents, the crazed violinist whose failure has pushed him over the edge or perhaps even some of the more barbaric (yet horrifyingly watchable) talent shows on TV. Fortunately there is another side to these competitions: the fantastic platform they provide to talented musicians.

German baritone Roman Trekel, who made a rare London appearance replacing Dorothea Röschmann at the Wigmore Hall on Friday night, is a highly respected singer known especially for his many Wagner roles as well as for his Lieder interpretation. I first encountered him singing Wolfram in Tannhaüser at the Bayreuth Festival some years ago.

Alors que sa Traviata a créé l'évènement le mois dernier au Metropolitan Opera de New York, Sonya Yoncheva revient à Paris pour un récital inattendu et intime, autour de Clara Schumann et Pauline Viardot. Pari réussi.