By using Schumann’s Novelletten to draw a broad dramaturgical bow over the whole evening, Martin Helmchen stands on his own as a bold and highly creative pianist.
The European Union Youth Orchestra confirms its exceptional quality in Zubel and Tchaikovsky. In Chopin, Seong-Jin Cho shows why he is a rising star of distinction.
In a passionate and evocative programme, South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho shows that his interpretive skills can start to blossom beyond mere technical prowess.
When de Luz reached down and laid his hand on the floor in the final Nocturne, it suggested to me that, on this night and with these dancers, the stage was sacred ground.
With plenty of sparkle and spritz, Pollini laces his performances of Schumann and Chopin with intimacy and introspection in a programme of contrasting emotions.
With a pianist of the calibre of Jan Lisiecki, Krzysztof Urbański has created an award winning collaboration which puts the two Poles way apart from many other soloist-conductor combinations.
San Francisco Ballet gives a rousing account of Justin Peck's ground-breaking Rodeo, newcomers Ana Sophia Scheller and Ulrik Birkkjær make waves, and Carlo DiLanno wins my vote for MVP at this season's gala.
Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova gave compelling performances of Chopin’s profound Ballades and intricate Waltzes, full of intensity, dreaminess and frenzy.
An intriguing concert performed on three pianos from different eras which revealed how composers responded to the piano technology available to them at the time.
The Faust Symphony formed the bloated climax of a demonic date with the Grim Reaper, who loomed large over Sir Antonio Pappano's “Total Liszt” programme with the LSO.
Waltzing on a Monday evening? Wigmore Hall is not exactly the Tower Ballroom, but last night it did a fair impression as a temple of dance when Philippe Cassard played the third of his Debussy Perspectives series.
After Jan Lisiecki gave an immaculate interpretation of a perennial Mozart piano concerto, Sebastian Weigle revelled in the brassy bravura of a symphony which remains virtually unknown in the city where it was composed over a hundred years ago.
As a whole, this American Ballet Theatre program was good but the presence of Hee Seo and David Hallberg in Jerome Robbins' Other Dances made it indelible.
The pianist performed a motley plethora of pieces that included his own recent work. Every interpretation was hand-dipped in a particular aesthetic; oftentimes to perfect taste, and oftentimes a little too much.
Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov gave a refined and intimate performance of works by Fryderyk Chopin in the penultimate Chamber Prom of the 2017 season.
Four years ago, the ACO mounted The Reef. Mountain is clearly its successor: another film project involving scenes of nature peopled by extreme-sports enthusiasts, screened while an eclectic soundtrack is played live by the orchestra.
The complex world of Górecki, Bacewicz and Cytż is contrasted with Dvořák and Chopin as The Scottish Ensemble embarked upon an Eastern European journey with guest director Bartosz Woroch.
There are not many classical musicians on the international circuit who could achieve the ‘legend’ status; whose concerts would be attended by adoring fans rushing to the stage at the conclusion of the recital, who would be referred to by a nickname, suggesting an ongoing relationship and familiarity with their fans.
With a Francophile programme of Berlioz, Chopin and Franck, conductor Fabien Gabel had the constant challenge of exploring the orchestra for fresh insights into each of these Romantic works.
American pianist Jonathan Biss explored the notion of late style in a programme of works by Schumann, Kurtág, Chopin and Brahms which revealed a common intensity of expression regardless of the composer's age.
The first performance of the Boston Symphony’s final program for 2016 fell on St Cecilia's Day. The patron saint of music must have been pleased to see the past, the present and the future join hands in a program anchored by two warhorses of the Romantic repertory.
In an unusual setting in Baden, the fine pianist Emanuel Ax coupled his exploration of demanding technique with a keen expressive focus, making an unparalleled musical experience.
“Wigmore Hall is flooded now!” confessed Philippe Cassard. It was Claude Debussy who left the tap running, with every form of precipitation – rain, snow, fog – pouring from the Steinway's keyboard, trickling from fountain, springing from river beds.
Dances at a Gathering is a ballet that we never get tired of because it speaks to enduring truths and its pull of nostalgia only gets stronger as the years pass.
