Posts with the label classical music
Showing posts with label classical music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classical music. Show all posts
Monday, 10 September 2018
Last Night of the Proms, Royal Albert Hall | Review
Last Night of the Proms
Royal Albert Hall
Reviewed on Saturday 8th September 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
After a spectacular eight weeks of concerts, the 2018 BBC Proms came to an end on Saturday night in a grand and celebratory fashion. As a first time attendee of the last night, I was excited to be part of such a well-known piece of theatrical history and the atmosphere and performances left me elated and proud to be British.
The concert followed it's traditional format, with a more serious first half followed by an audience participation fuelled second act. Master of ceremonies for the night was Andrew Davis who made a triumphant return after eighteen years and brought together a magical night.
Debut work, Songs of Darkness, Dreams of Light by Roxanna Panufnik is a moving ten minute piece which brings together opposing religions and cultures and was especially exciting to witness. Of the various French and English choral pieces, a stand out was definitely Charles Villiers Stanford's The Blue Bird, performed expertly by the BBC Singers and causing the rambunctious audience to be in pin drop silence for its entirety.
Saxophonist Jess Gillam provided energy, glitz and talent in equal measure through her performances of Scaramouche and a selection of World War One songs arranged by Anne Dudley. Gerald Finley also gave dominant performances of Stanford's Songs of the Sea and the vast Soliloquy from Carousel.
The second act was a fine celebration of patriotism and community. The audience, orchestra, BBC Singers and BBC Symphony Chorus joined together for a number of classic Last Night of the Proms pieces including Jerusalem and Auld Lang Syne, all of which were rousing and left the audience elated as the Proms came to a close and we all left the Royal Albert Hall for another year.
Debut work, Songs of Darkness, Dreams of Light by Roxanna Panufnik is a moving ten minute piece which brings together opposing religions and cultures and was especially exciting to witness. Of the various French and English choral pieces, a stand out was definitely Charles Villiers Stanford's The Blue Bird, performed expertly by the BBC Singers and causing the rambunctious audience to be in pin drop silence for its entirety.
Saxophonist Jess Gillam provided energy, glitz and talent in equal measure through her performances of Scaramouche and a selection of World War One songs arranged by Anne Dudley. Gerald Finley also gave dominant performances of Stanford's Songs of the Sea and the vast Soliloquy from Carousel.
The second act was a fine celebration of patriotism and community. The audience, orchestra, BBC Singers and BBC Symphony Chorus joined together for a number of classic Last Night of the Proms pieces including Jerusalem and Auld Lang Syne, all of which were rousing and left the audience elated as the Proms came to a close and we all left the Royal Albert Hall for another year.
Monday, 6 November 2017
Opera: Passion, Power and Politics, Victoria and Albert Museum | Review
Opera: Passion, Power and Politics (Exhibition)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Reviewed on Sunday 5th November 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
Opera: Passion, Power and Politics is a vast and exhilarating exhibition which explores the complex and beautiful history of opera as well as its power to affect us all. In collaboration with the Royal Opera House, the exhibition examines seven operas both in the context of the composer's lives and the cities and countries they were originally performed in (the only exception is the 1861 Paris production of Wagner's Tannhäuser.) The final room takes us into the modern day with a selection of operas premiered in the last seventy or so years.
The exhibition is extravagant and immersive; visitors are supplied with headsets which play pieces to accompany the route which evoke both intellectual and visceral feelings. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the entire exhibition and the accompanying music, I find it somewhat odd that the actual musical element is made optional, although there are so many factors which go into making an opera great, the music is certainly the most crucial.
Wandering around the exhibition space it's amazing to see how opera changed so much whilst keeping its original roots. The displays become more and more lavish, with stunning costumes and other objects becoming grander as we get further in. The political climate and opera have always been thoroughly linked and it is particularly striking to see the sudden return to minimalism during the Soviet Modernism movement when Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was suppressed in 1936 and to be taken literally to the battlefield when the music is replaced with the sound of distant gunfire as we move to study Verdi's Nabucco.
This is overall a remarkable exhibition, which like the Opera itself, really needs to be seen and heard to truly be appreciated. The amount of information displayed is overwhelming but exciting throughout and both Opera lovers and Opera newbies are sure to learn something interesting. Visually experiencing the humanity and social relevance of the seven pieces is moving and compelling and I highly recommend you go and experience it yourself.
Opera: Passion, Power and Politics is on display at the Victoria and Albert museum until February 25th 2018.
The exhibition is extravagant and immersive; visitors are supplied with headsets which play pieces to accompany the route which evoke both intellectual and visceral feelings. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the entire exhibition and the accompanying music, I find it somewhat odd that the actual musical element is made optional, although there are so many factors which go into making an opera great, the music is certainly the most crucial.
Wandering around the exhibition space it's amazing to see how opera changed so much whilst keeping its original roots. The displays become more and more lavish, with stunning costumes and other objects becoming grander as we get further in. The political climate and opera have always been thoroughly linked and it is particularly striking to see the sudden return to minimalism during the Soviet Modernism movement when Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was suppressed in 1936 and to be taken literally to the battlefield when the music is replaced with the sound of distant gunfire as we move to study Verdi's Nabucco.
This is overall a remarkable exhibition, which like the Opera itself, really needs to be seen and heard to truly be appreciated. The amount of information displayed is overwhelming but exciting throughout and both Opera lovers and Opera newbies are sure to learn something interesting. Visually experiencing the humanity and social relevance of the seven pieces is moving and compelling and I highly recommend you go and experience it yourself.
Opera: Passion, Power and Politics is on display at the Victoria and Albert museum until February 25th 2018.
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