Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Cigánské melodie (Gypsy Songs) on poems by A. Heyduk, Op.55

The Swedish mezzo accepts her award from the Birgit Nilsson foundation with an impressive prizewinner’s recital.

A strong connection between Manfred Honeck and the WDR musicians was clearly palpable during the entire performance.

In music by Janaček and Dvořák, Kožená seemed to just enjoy the freedom to perform in her native idiom. 

Excellent chamber orchestras are a true pleasure to behold. The Wiener Virtuosen were in their element in an evening of Mozart, Mahler and Dvořák. 

Attention to delivery, effective interpretation and intelligent programming is what make the duo such a consistently beloved force in concert.

The sharp linguistic and enunciative abilities of Romanian mezzo Adriana Festeu are as impressive as her singing. Accompanied by Nico de Villiers, she launched “Leeds Lieder+ From Europe to America – A Day of Song” in the morning at Leeds University’s Clothworkers Hall with “Songs My Mother Taught Me”. She dealt very convincingly with Dvořák’s Gypsy Songs in Czech, followed by 5 Lieder, Op.

The baritone Thomas Hampson is a popular figure at the Salzburg Festival, having appeared there regularly since 1988, and at his Lieder recital with pianist Wolfram Rieger at the Haus der Mozart, one sensed a warm rapport between him and the audience. His programme consisted of Schumann’s Liederkreis, Op. 39, Dvořák’s Zigeunermelodien and Mahler’s songs based on the text of Des Knaben Wunderhorn.

Piotr Beczała et Helmut Deutsch ont offert un récital genevois oscillant entre lied et effusion lyrique : voix superbe, piano royal mais lyrisme parfois excessif.

Gemeinsam mit seinem Begleiter Wolfram Rieger gestaltet der Bariton einen Abend für die Freiheit und Menschenrechte.

C’est à une leçon de chant que Diana Damrau nous invite dans son récital : la voix est magnifique accompagnée par un Xavier De Maistre magistral. Le hic réside très certainement sur l’adéquation de la harpe à un répertoire symphonique… Si le doute existait avant le récital, il subsiste après. 

Es ist selten, dass sich ein Weltstar ins schöne Passau verirrt. Dank der Europäischen Wochen konnte man in diesem Jahr Edita Gruberová erleben.