Sunday 6 January 2013

Last month on Planet Hugill


Stockwell Children's Orchestra, (picture credit Reynaldo Trombetta)
Just in case you missed it! December started with us re-visiting Jonathan Miller's 'classic' production of The Mikado to find out if our opinion of it had changed (see our review to find out!). And Covent Garden's much anticipated Robert le Diable was musically strong but dramatically a damp squib.

The complete Peer Gynt at the Barbican was much more than a concert.


Concerts included the first ever performance from the Orchestra Musica Romantica, American soprano Rena Harms in recital, The Brodsky string quartet manage to have adventures, even before their Angels and Maidens concert at Kings Place. The Stockwell Children's Orchestra gave its Christmas concert at the South Bank Centre. Harry Christopher's and the Sixteen performed Messiah at the Barbican with their new training group, Genesis Sixteen.


My own motets were performed by Alistair Dixon and the Chapelle du Roi at St Johns Smith Square and London Concord Singers.

We made three visits to the Shoreditch Winter Music Festival - the Gabrieli Consort and Paul McCreesh in old and new settings of medieval texts, the English Concert in a Christmas themed concert which showcased singers from within the choir and Christian Curnyn's Early Opera Company with Women Sing East to show us what an all woman Vivaldi Gloria sounded like.

Also, to get us in the Christmas Spirit we went along to see The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Privates on Parade with Simon Russell Beale.

I Interviewed cellist Matthew Barley about his forthcoming About Britten tour and composer Nimrod Borenstein about his music and attitude to composing. And we looked at English opera in the 1950's, a surprisingly fruitful decade, Alma Mahler-Werfel, Richard Strauss's gay connection and the Gabrieli Young Singers Scheme.

CD reviews included a Cantata for the Children of Terezin, Kathrine Broderick's debut album, Rolando Villazon's new Verdi album, a new disc of flute music and Advent at Merton which features their new commissions.

You may have noticed that we have acquired a new url, the blog is now available at http://www.planethugill.com/

Wishing you all a fruitful 2013 from Robert Hugill and all at Planet Hugill.

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