Perpetual Light - A triumphant new choral work

The London Sinfonietta and Martyn Brabbins pay tribute to Sir Harrison Birtwistle with a programme of very fine music-making at London's Southbank Centre.

A ruthless Russian leader quelling revolt and uniting his country through waging war on its neighbours: the theme of Sergei Eisenstein’s film Ivan the Terrible, intended as a Soviet propagandist parable, raises a knowing eyebrow even today. Excerpts from Prokofiev’s score formed the bulk of this raucously enjoyable concert by the Philharmonia under Vladimir Ashkenazy, beneath a screening of key scenes from the film itself.

A mixed bill of modern work showcases the diverse talents of The Royal Ballet.

A double bill from Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Tarik O'Regan gives us two unsettling portraits of women whose lives have been indelibly touched by the eternal: an unamed Victorian medium, and the Virgin Mary. 

Bampton Classical Opera is a company dedicated to performing rarely-performed 18th-century operas, and every summer they stage a new production with a cast of young and upcoming singers at their base in Bampton in Oxfordshire. This year’s production was a double-bill of French opéras comiques by Philidor and Grétry, which they brought to London’s St John’s Smith Square last week.

Pari réussi partiellement pour la cheffe : malgré le haut niveau des protagonistes, cette Messe en si a commencé sur la retenue et n’a pas tenu toutes ses promesses, malgré une conclusion de toute beauté.