En direct, Vidéo: Rechercher des critiques de musique classique, opéra et ballet | Sonate pour violoncelle et piano en ré mineur

Philip Higham and Susan Tomes took on Beethoven, Josef Suk, Janáček, Debussy and Nadia Boulanger without missing a beat, no page turner allowed, and no intermission.

A generous programme by Alban Gerhardt and Víkingur Ólafsson saw a tale of two halves, with the classical poise of the first half and the more extrovert showpieces of the second. 

Daniel Barenboim's absence may have confounded the all-Debussy programme but it left the Aix audience with a beautifully balanced recital.

The first programme of Nicolas Altstaedt and Aleksandar Madžar for their tour around Australia offered an insightful selection of 20th-century chamber music masterpieces.

With Satu Vänskä at the helm, the ACO delivers a thrilling series of performances in an ecclectic program at the City Recital Hall, Sydney

Cellist Gautier Capuçon and pianist Frank Braley are artists I have previously admired in many chamber ensemble concerts, but their recital at Kings Place was the first time I heard them as a duo.

Im Tonhallen-Debüt der jungen Musiker ging nie die Spannung verloren.

A superb lunch time concert by the Britten Sinfonia players which included outstanding performances of works by Debussy, Fauré and a newly commissioned work titled "Light and Matter” by the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. 

The chances to hear two recitals on consecutive nights, featuring exceptional artists of international renown in the friendly environment and outstanding acoustics of the City Recital Hall are akin to winning a (musical) lottery in Sydney.

One of the more attractive features of the Sommets Musicaux festival is the series of concerts in Gstaad chapel, each given by a young musician who has been spending the week attending classes, with a mentor – in this case, Mario Brunello – and each including a world première written by the festival’s composer in residence – this year, it’s the turn of Nicolas Bacri.

When I collected my ticket for this evening’s Late Mix concert in Hall Two of The Sage Gateshead, I was somewhat surprised to see it marked as unreserved seating. A computer glitch, I thought, until I walked into the hall and found that the usual rows of seats in this small, in-the-round auditorium had been replaced with café-style tables and chairs.

Of the two major composers to have had anniversaries in 2012, maybe it’s ironic that it has been the 150-year-old Claude Debussy, rather than the 100-year-old John Cage, who has largely been celebrated with silence.

Those who find that the words “complete works” hold a special allure will surely already know about the Debussy Chamber Music Festival taking place in Chicago this month, performed and organized by the Chicago Chamber Musicians, which offers the rare opportunity to hear the composer’s complete chamber works.

It’s rare to be at a concert, of any genre, and to experience a very profound sense of involvement on the part of the performers, combined with total commitment to the music, both in terms of fidelity to the written score and integrity of performance.

The concert opened with BBC newsreader Julia Somerville, summarising news from the year 1915 at an old-fashioned broadcasting desk complete with microphone. It was informative, and set the scene for this recital, one in a series of ‘time capsule’ concerts, solely featuring music composed in 1915 – including two of Debussy’s last chamber pieces.

Through its 24th season, the Amici Ensemble has stretched the limits of music; pairing its inspiration with food and fashion. In their 2011/2012 season finale performance, they incorporated artist Lavinia I. Voicu into the concert, having her paint live to the music. Much like her paintings, which were on display in the lobby, the musical programme was abstract and diverse.