| London Symphony Orchestra | |
| Barbara Hannigan | Direction, Soprano |
| Fleur Barron | Mezzo-soprano |
New York – Paris – London: Barbara Hannigan can-cans through the Jazz Age in this transatlantic celebration of melody, colour and seriously classy fun.
Grab a fistful of Offenbach’s best tunes, add a dash of sugar and a spritz of champagne and the result is Gaité Parisienne – the joyous, fabulously ritzy ballet that Manuel Rosenthal created in Monte Carlo just before the War. Barbara Hannigan loves it, and she’s put it at the centre of a concert tailored to her own unrivalled talents.
She’s kicking off with Copland’s Music for the Theatre, in which the sounds of jazz-age Manhattan get a distinctly Gallic makeover. And it’d hardly be a Barbara Hannigan concert if we didn’t get to hear that phenomenal, endlessly versatile voice – so she’s finishing with two Kurt Weill classics, in striking new arrangements. Serious fun with a sophisticated swing, from an artist who keeps finding new ways to intrigue and astound.