Divine intervention: Wayne McGregor on choreographing Dante

Wayne McGregor in rehearsal at the Royal Opera House

Thomas Adès in rehearsal at the Royal Opera House

Edward Watson and artists of The Royal Ballet in Inferno

Artists of The Royal Ballet in Inferno

Melissa Hamilton and Mayara Magri in Inferno

Fumi Kaneko and Edward Watson in Inferno

By Sarah Kirkup, 16 September 2021

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“you can’t control when you’ll get insight, but when you do it would be criminal not to use it”

Deborah Weiss, 3rd September

With many new full-length dance works to look out for in the new season, we preview several anticipated new creations from leading choreographers – including a number with newly commissioned scores.

Bachtrack top ten: Opera in English

David Karlin, 22nd April

From Henry Purcell to George Benjamin, a set of ten operas to demonstrate that English is not just a language for prose and poetry, but also a vibrant language for opera.

Looking for Thomas Adès in the Aquifer

Lawrence Dunn, 26th March

In residence in Manchester with the Hallé, Thomas Adès talks about recent pieces Aquifer and Wreath, and how bigness and smallness are never exactly quantifiable.

Impostor turned imp: Gianni Schicchi in Dante and Puccini

Isabella Steppan, 17th September

Isabella Steppan explores Giacomo Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, the third and final part of his Il trittico (The Triptych).

Prelude to a kiss: Rachmaninov’s Francesca da Rimini

Mark Pullinger, 15th September

The tale of Francesca and Paolo in Dante’s Inferno has inspired as many musical settings as paintings. Here, Mark Pullinger explores Rachmaninov’s neglected opera, Francesca da Rimini.

From darkness into light: the life and work of Dante Alighieri

Alexandra Richter, 14th September

Even 700 years after Dante's death his Divine Comedy continues to fascinate us. Alexandra Richter looks closer at this grotesque and excessive, incomparable and highly political work.

Sarah Kirkup

Sarah Kirkup has been Deputy Editor of Gramophone since 2010. She also writes for publications including the Royal Opera House’s in-house magazine and programmes for The Royal Ballet, and reviews dance events for cross-arts online magazine The Cusp. She is particularly interested in the relationship between music and dance, and has spoken on this subject at panel discussions, talks and events.