Reviews

Elektra, Barbican Hall, London
Le vin herb�, St George's, Bloomsbury, London

Earplugs come in handy once Greek tragedy is in full cry, but a neglected oratorio proves exquisite

Inside Reviews

Album: Prokofiev, String Quartets 1&2/ Pavel Haas Quartet (Supraphon)

Sunday, 17 January 2010

A slight astringency of tone is all that keeps the Pavel Haas Quartet a notch below the Jerusalem and Belcea Quartets.

Album: Buxtehude, VII Suonate, Opus 1/Purcell Quartet (Chandos)

Sunday, 17 January 2010

Marooned in L�beck, Buxtehude is remembered chiefly for his organ works, a daughter Bach did not wish to marry, and one exquisite cantata, "Membra Jesu Nostri".

Strauss Elektra, London Symphony Orchestra/ Gergiev, Barbican Hall London (Rated 4/ 5 )

Friday, 15 January 2010

Watching and hearing Valery Gergiev conduct Strauss’ Elektra was truly an unholy collusion of neurotic natures.

Stile Antico, Kings Place, London (Rated 5/ 5 )

Friday, 15 January 2010

State-of-the-art Kings Place has as many echo-chambers as a medieval cathedral, and that’s just the foyer, so it was a pleasure to queue for one’s tickets while the five members of Il Suono delivered some spirited Gabrieli.

Album: Anne Sofie von Otter, Ombre De Mon Amant (Deutsche Grammophon) (Rated 4/ 5 )

Friday, 15 January 2010

Performed with period ensemble Les Arts Florissants, Ombre De Mon Amant reflects mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter's affection for the airs of the French Baroque.

Album: Paavo Järvi, Beethoven: Symphony No 9 (RCA Red Seal) (Rated 5/ 5 )

Friday, 15 January 2010

In some interpretations of Beethoven's 9th, it can seem like three lengthy preambles to the Greatest Tune Ever Written, a sustained bout of deferred gratification; but not in this latest performance by Paavo Järvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie.

Album: Thierry P�cou, Symphonie Du Jaguar (Harmonia Mundi) (Rated 3/ 5 )

Friday, 15 January 2010

French composer Thierry P�cou's group, Ensemble Zellig, was named after the chameleonic hero of Woody Allen's 'Zelig', a derivation which suits his eclecticism.

Borodin Quartet, Wigmore Hall (Rated 4/ 5 )

Sunday, 10 January 2010

The Borodin Quartet brings a lot of history to the table – 60 years, to be precise. Personnel may come and go, the balance of personalities may shift, but the identity remains resolutely intact.

Building a Library, Radio 3
Private Passions, Radio 3
Breakfast, Radio 3

Sunday, 10 January 2010

While some presenters try too hard, many celebrate classical music without a fuss. Just brace yourself for a glut of Chopin and Schumann

Album: Chopin, Cello Music/ Andreas Brantelid (EMI)

Sunday, 10 January 2010

Chopin's anniversary avalanche is already in full swing, with this disc by Sweden's highest-flying young cellist leading the field in that instrument.

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