The central character has become Senta and . . . → Read More: Review – The Flying Dutchman]]> The new staging of The Flying Dutchman by English National Opera is the first Wagner piece that Jonathon Kent has directed. Another Wagner debutant is the conductor, Edward Gardener. The production strays, perhaps, farther from Wagner than may be ideal, however the finished production is a hard hitting white-knuckle ride.

The central character has become Senta and not the traditional Dutchman, and the piece examines the battle between illusion and reality in her imagination. As a child, Senta is given a story book by Daland, played by Clive Bayley, to try to calm her nerves during a storm. The book’s cover features a picture of the Dutchman’s face.

When she grows up, she fantasises about the sea captain as a form of escapism from her normal life working in a factory making tourist souvenirs, where Erik, her ex (played by Stuart Skelton), is a security guard.

This is a hard-hitting piece with emphasis on scenes very often underplayed. The Dutchman (played by James Cresswell), a Byronic glamour boy, appears in Senta’s bed as the ship crashes into the bedroom wall. Certain scenes are notably alarming and there is an atmosphere of sexual menace with the attempted gang rape of the central character sitting uneasily with the score

The piece does, however, sound wonderfully appealing. The score is paced with a great energy by Gardner, who is natural and exciting in his debut. The cast is very strong, with fine choral singing.

A more elegant Dutchman is brought to stage by Cresswell. Boylan is thrilling, as his tentative beginning builds into a crescendo as emotions become stronger and madness looms. The part of Erik, played by Skelton, beautifully phrased and voiced, has rarely been better.

Every symphony ever composed by Beethoven is going to be performed for the BBC Proms this year. This is the first time that all of the symphonies have been performed at an event for nearly six decades. This event is largely being put on because the Olympic Games are being held in the capital city this . . . → Read More: This years Proms to feature all Beethoven’s symphonies]]>  

Every symphony ever composed by Beethoven is going to be performed for the BBC Proms this year. This is the first time that all of the symphonies have been performed at an event for nearly six decades. This event is largely being put on because the Olympic Games are being held in the capital city this year. The final concert, the ninth Symphony, is going to be performed on the first night of the Olympics.

BBC Proms is the largest music festival in the world and this year 92 concerts are going to be held as part of the event which is taking place over two months. The ninth Symphony by Beethoven is a piece of music was composed in order to encourage brotherhood around the world.

The performance of this piece is going to be on 27 July and it is being called a celebration of both the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee. The event is going to have a particular focus on the youth of the UK as well is on British music. As part of the event there is going to be a concert which involves musicians from Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and this is going to take place from the fourth to the sixth of August.

There is also going to be a focus on music for children and this has decided to go ahead after the success of the Doctor Who Proms which took place in previous years. This year the theme is going to be Wallace and Gromit and a special commission has been gained in order to put on this piece.

The opening night of the Olympics is going to have an exclusive focus on British music including the performance of music by Elgar, and Sir Michael Tippett. This is going to be an incredible event to celebrate everything that is happening in the country this year.

All of these features . . . → Read More: Leading tenor Jonas Kaufman heads to the Albert Hall]]> Jonas Kaufman, the tenor, is a man that seems to have everything, he has a great deal of ambition to succeed in his field, and he has the skills to do it. He has an exceptional voice, and the fact that he is very handsome will also help him succeed in his career.

All of these features have combined to win him a great deal of fans from all over the world. He is now in his early 40s and people are still regarding him as having one of the finest voices in the world. Despite this, many people see him as just a pretty face, and this is something that he is keen to dispel so that people focus more on his music, rather than his looks.

Mr Kaufman was originally born in Munich and he is known for being able to control his voice even when reaching the highs and lows of his vocal range, which is extensive. He first came to the world’s attention during the 1990s when he performed in Cosi fan tutte, by Giorgio Strehler. He later achieved a great deal more fame in 2004, when he performed an opera by Puccini in Covent Garden.

Later this year, he is going to be performing at the Royal Albert Hall, alongside some of opera’s other most glamorous stars. He is going to be singing music by Mozart, Puccini, and Verdi, and the event is something that is going to be a spectacular occasion that people are looking forward to already.

Fascinatingly, Mr Kaufman originally had a very poor start in opera, he wasn’t professionally trained and was just singing how he wanted to. His voice was very good but in his first major performance he lost his voice. This was a disaster and caused him to seek professional tuition which led him to his spectacular career.

He grew up to become suicidal and paranoid . . . → Read More: Die Solaten converted into a successful opera by Zimmerman]]> Jakob Lenz was an 18th-century poet and playwright who entered the literary world very quickly, and went out just as fast. He was a man who was known to be pursued by his inner demons and much of these stemmed from his father’s immensely disciplined attitude bringing him up.

He grew up to become suicidal and paranoid and eventually died in the street in 1792. One of his most visionary plays was Die Soldaten and it was recently converted to an opera by Zimmerman.

This production has recently been put on by the English National Opera as well as the Hampstead Theatre and the Opera have done well to choose this theatre is the location for the production. The theatre is a very intimate location with an almost in the round stage. The director of the production is Sam Brown, and he is a young director who has given himself an immense challenge by taking on this production.

The production has been created through a close collaboration between the director and Andrew Shore, the baritone. The role that Mr Shore has to play is immensely demanding and it is a testament to his singing abilities that he pulls it off so well. Audience members who watch this production will be very impressed by how Mr Shore handles the singing and really brings this production to life.

Mr Brown has really managed to add a great deal to the limited 13 scenes of the script and he has created a world that is an incredibly paranoid affair. The set is also very well done and the scenes all seem to have been incredibly well put together. There is one particular scene which is set by the riverside, and it seems as if all the characters have stepped out of oil painting from the 18th-century. It really is remarkable how much effort has been put into this part of the production.

Shore’s performance is complemented by that of Richard Roberts, Susie Cooper and Jonathan Best. They all join Shore in delivering exceptional performances. There is no particular narrative in this production but it is a wonderfully put together affair.