Foraging for sounds with John Cage

By Mark Pullinger, 02 February 2015

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Reviewed at Royal Opera House: Linbury Theatre, London on 31 January 2015

ENBS in My First Ballet: Swan Lake – inspirational performances

Deborah Weiss, 16th April

English National Ballet School have discovered a truly successful formula with its My First Ballet series. Hundreds of young children are transported by Swan Lake at London's Peacock.

****1

The Nutcracker gets Scrooged at Prague’s National Theatre

Gianmarco Segato, 30th December

Youri Vámos’s mash up of The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol makes for a devilishly Victorian take on Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic.

***11

Northern Ballet's Ugly Duckling: comedic and engaging for all ages!

Viki Westall, 22nd February

Northern Ballet's Ugly Duckling offers a fantastic and inclusive introduction to the ballet for the whole family and at just 45 minutes long, does not try anyone's patience.

****1

Blending magic with loss: Herheim’s reimagined Amahl in Vienna

Chanda VanderHart, 17th December

There is magic aplenty in director Stefan Herheim’s bold recontextualization of Gian Carlo Menotti's holiday opera.

****1

Ryuuguu: The Turtle Princess a showcase for Japanese culture

Naomi Mori, 24th July

The National Ballet of Japan's Ryuuguu: the Turtle Princess is a ballet aimed at family audiences but adults can also enjoy it as it is a great showcase for Japanese culture with Noh and Kabuki influences and philosophy.

*****

Two-by-two in Stratford East: Britten's Noye's Fludde on location

Mark Valencia, 3rd July

The co-existence of amateurs and professionals is weighted firmly towards the latter.

****1

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Foraging for sounds with John Cage: Listen to the Silence