Sumidagawa/Curlew River review – Britten’s work reunited with its medieval Japanese inspiration
New staging of Britten’s work, first seen at the Aldeburgh festival 60 years ago, complemented by authentic Noh play
The week in classical: The Merry Widow; Aldeburgh festival – review
Thomas Allen steals a witty, sparkling new production of Léhar’s masterpiece, and a cosmic world premiere from Judith Weir lives up to her star billing
Blond Eckbert review – Judith Weir’s bare-bones opera kicks off Aldeburgh festival
Despite excellent performances from the singers and chamber ensemble, this stripped-back version of the folkloric opera failed to convey the horror of its story
June 2023
The week in classical: 74th Aldeburgh Festival; Werther – review
Juliet Fraser/Knussen Chamber Orchestra review – new works showcase soprano’s extraordinary repertoire
April 2023
Anna Dennis / Nicholas Daniel / Mahan Esfahani review – poetry and animal magic
The soprano, oboist and harpsichordist delighted in a varied recital from velvety Bach arias to new insect-inspired sketches by Michael Berkeley, and an emotional Elena Langer song cycle
June 2022
Aldeburgh festival review – Gavin Higgins’ Faerie Bride brings otherworldly aura to Aldeburgh
Violet review – Coult’s debut opera opens Aldeburgh with assurance
May 2022
‘I like being a maker of wonderful things’: composer Tom Coult on his opera Violet
With a libretto by Alice Birch, who adapted Normal People, this Aldeburgh festival opener revolves around a collapsing world. Apt, given that – with the pandemic – its creators didn’t know it would ever make the stage
June 2021
Dark night: why it took so long to hear John Tavener’s La Noche Oscura
Allan Clayton; Juliet Fraser review – Britten proves indigestible, but Fraser’s Feldman is a tour de force
May 2021
Reopening culture
From Adès’ angel to Verdi’s fat knight: what to see as classical and opera venues reopen
Live music is back across the UK; we pick ten events to brighten the coming months
February 2021
The Great British Art Tour
The Great British Art Tour: Britten, Pears and a missing arm
With public art collections closed we are bringing the art to you, exploring highlights from across the country in partnership with Art UK. Today’s pick: Aldeburgh’s Double Concerto
October 2020
Lyric Solitude review – imaginative and immaculate
English Touring Opera’s new live season features three programmes of 20th-century pieces, each with a single singer and piano accompaniment
September 2020
Know the score
Britten: where to start with his music
The man who put British opera on an international stage and changed the UK’s musical map for ever, his pacifism and his sense of being an outsider inspired much of his most memorable writing
August 2020
LPO/Pappano review – wonderful warmth and magical moments
Culture in peril
Doorstep recitals and bespoke gigs: how classical music is adapting to the new normal
July 2020
'Nature was etched in Britten's music': the birdwatching composer
Mixing Britten’s folksongs with poetry and soundscapes, soprano Marci Meth took inspiration from the composer himself to create an album inspired by and embedded in the countryside that he loved
September 2019
Rebels with a cause: the friendship of Britten and Shostakovich
The two composers were separated by the Iron Curtain and language but united by their art and their deep admiration for each others’ music. A new bi-cultural orchestra inspired by their friendship pays tribute to their common cause
June 2019
The week in classical: Hansel and Gretel; Fantasio; The Sea, The Sea – review
The fear is palpable in Regent’s Park’s magical, pared down Hansel and Gretel, while an Offenbach rarity has its moment
