ENSEMBLE - Classical Music Daily's regular series of concert reviews

Ensemble is Classical Music Daily's regular series of live concert reviews, normally published several times per week.

 

Ensemble. A Real Triumph - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Puccini's 'Tosca', live in HD at the inauguration of La Scala's 2019-20 opera and ballet season

Ensemble. Nicely Shaped - Mike Wheeler listens to Duruflé and Ola Gjeilo from Derby Choral Union and its new musical director Paul Provost

Ensemble. A Dramatic Requiem - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Verdi in Rome

Ensemble. Utterly Stylish - Mike Wheeler listens to Opera North's 'Giulio Cesare'

Ensemble. Special Moments - Adam J Sacks provides a Hong Kong snapshot on the classical music world

Ensemble. Finely Balanced - Mozart, Shostakovich and Beethoven, played by the Artesian String Quartet, and heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. As Fresh As Ever - Mike Wheeler takes stock of Benjamin Britten's 1948 cantata 'St Nicholas'

Ensemble. Contemporary Premieres - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences three new operas in Rome

Ensemble. Particularly Irresistible - Music by Smetana, Martinů and Dvořák from Laura van der Heijden, Pietari Inkinen and the Prague Symphony Orchestra impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Economical but Effective - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews the new production of Puccini's 'Trittico' in Florence

Alert Playing - Anna Tsybuleva plays C P E Bach, Beethoven and Schubert, impressing Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Contemporary Resonances - Opera North's production of Martinů's 'Greek Passion', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Well-chosen Contrasts - Sinfonia Viva is joined by Nottingham Harmonic Choir and vocal soloists for an evening of Sibelius, Mozart, Vasks and Salonen, impressing Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Affectionate Complicity and Tensions - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Mozart's 'Idomeneo' in Rome

Ensemble. Magisterial Performance - Nina Stemme returns to Australia to sing Wagner, heard by David Mitchell

Ensemble. An Autumn Trilogy - 'Norma', 'Aida' and 'Carmen' in Ravenna, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Winning Team - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to a pre-tour concert by Martha Argerich and Antonio Pappano, with the Symphony Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Ensemble. Satisfyingly Unexpected - Mike Wheeler listens to Grieg, Clara Schumann, Kodály and Mozart from Frank Zielhorst and Sinfonia Viva

Ensemble. Extra Vibrancy - Mike Wheeler listens to Tchaikovsky and Fauré from the Sitwell Singers

Ensemble. Promised in Marriage - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome on Rossini's first staged opera, asking who pays 'The Promissory Change'?

Ensemble. A Compelling New Format? - Adam J Sacks reports on two recent dance performances in Hong Kong which potentially reimagine the role of classical music in contemporary settings

Ensemble. 'Don Quixote' Returns - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome's Opera House on the Ludwig Minkus ballet

Ensemble. He'll Be Back - Fabien Gabel conducts the Hallé Orchestra, impressing Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Florence Rediscovers a Masterpiece - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Gaspare Spontini's 'Fernand Cortez ou La Conquête du Mexique'

Piquant Ensemble. Contrasts - A cello and violin recital by Katherine Jenkinson and Ning Kam, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Tremendous and Sublime - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Berlioz's 'Grande Messe des morts'

Astonishing Control - Mike Wheeler experiences a completely transfixed audience at Chinese-born pianist Ji Liu's recital of music by Stephen Hough, Debussy, Ji Liu, Beethoven, York Bowen and Stravinsky

Ensemble. A Vivid Sense of Theatricality - Mike Wheeler listens to Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Khachaturian from Peter Donohoe and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yuri Simonov

Ensemble. Alternative Energy - San Diego Symphony's new music director Rafael Payare conducts music by Mason Bates and Gustav Mahler, heard by Ron Bierman

Ensemble. 'New Music' in Palermo - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Ludovico Einaudi's opera 'Winter Journey'

Ensemble. Don Giovanni's Forefather - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about a performance of 'L'empio punito' by Alessandro Melani

Ensemble. Take A Sabbatical - Giuseppe Pennisi has some advice for Graham Vick, based on the latter's latest production of 'Don Giovanni'

Ensemble. Hausmusik in the Palatine Hall - by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Blaringly Unusual - Maria Nockin listens to Pittance Chamber Music's opening concert

Ensemble. In the Vatican Basilicas - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews a special concert

Ensemble. Germanic Gravitas? - Adam J Sacks marks the opening of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra's new season

Ensemble. Back to the Future - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a gala evening in Rome dedicated to two experimental works

Ensemble. Lieder with Harp - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a world tour by Diana Damrau and Xavier de Maistre

A Subtle Approach - Mike Wheeler listens to organ music by Leighton, Franck, J S Bach and Henri Mulet, played by Edward Turner at Derby Cathedral

Ensemble. A Star is Born - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Enkeleda Kamani as Gilda in Verdi's 'Rigoletto' at La Scala, Milan

Ensemble. Orpheus in Limbo - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on Offenbach's 'Orpheus in the Underworld' at the Salzburg Festival

Ensemble. Packed With Good Things - Roderic Dunnett reports from the 2019 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester

All Reeds Blazing - Roger Sayer at the Derby Cathedral organ console impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. An Engrossing 'Simon' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on one of Verdi's 'cursed' operas at the Salzburg Festival

Ensemble. German Majesty - Patrick Maxwell listens to Bach and Bruckner from Michael Schönheit, Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Ensemble. Myths and Modernity - Giuseppe Pennisi sends his first report from the 2019 Salzburg Festival

Vividly Projected - Mike Wheeler listens to J S Bach, Gustav Holst, George Dyson, David Bednall, Edward Bairstow, César Franck, Purcell Mansfield, Judith Weir and Marcel Dupré, played by organist Sachin Gunga

Ensemble. Young Rossini's 'Comedy for Adults' - Giuseppe Pennisi sends his final report from Pesaro

Ensemble. Rossini's Adolescent Opera - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Pesaro on 'Demetrio e Polibio'

Ensemble. Sex and Power in Pesaro - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a new production of 'Semiramide' at the Rossini Opera Festival

Ensemble. In Many Respects a Success - Longborough Festival Opera's wacky production of Cavalli's 'La Calisto', reviewed by Roderic Dunnett

Ensemble. A Double Bridge - Giuseppe Pennisi attends 'Sarang è Amore' at the Korean Cultural Institute in Rome

Bright and Clear - Alexander Binns plays organ music by Alfred Hollins, Harrison Oxley, Reginald Goss-Custard, Maurice Duruflé, Joseph Bonnet and César Franck, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Magnificent Symphonies - Beethoven, Shostakovich and Musorgsky from Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra impress Patrick Maxwell

Ensemble. Magisterial Creativity - Patrick Maxwell visits London to hear Haydn's 'The Creation' at the BBC Proms

Ensemble. Breathless Excitement - In the last of his reports from the 2019 Buxton Festival, Mike Wheeler listens to music by Jean-Féry Rebel, Telemann, Marco Ucellini, J S Bach, and an improvisation on 'La Folìa', played by Improviso

Ensemble. Fierce Commitment - Gillian Moore talks about her book 'The Rite of Spring. The Music of Modernity' and then Philip Moore and Hugh Watkins play Stravinsky's 'Le Sacre du printemps', preceded by John Adams' 'Hallelujah Junction', all reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Very Sensual - Giuseppe Pennisi steps up to Caetani Castle to listen to madrigals by Gesualdo

Ensemble. An Irresistible Challenge - Mike Wheeler listens to an operatic rarity - 'Lucio Papirio Dittatore' by Antonio Caldara

Ensemble. Mastery and Versatility - Giuseppe Pennisi attends three Tokyo Ballet performances in Rome

Ensemble. Ballet of Sheep - Opera Della Luna's 'Orpheus in the Underworld' at the Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Airborne Twice - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a cello and piano recital unexpectedly

Ensemble. A Local Heroine/Antiheroine - Mike Wheeler experiences the pasticcio 'Georgiana' at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Baroque Oratorios in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to selections of music by Alessandro Scarlatti, Bernado Pasquini and George Frideric Handel

Ensemble. Vintage Buxton - Mike Wheeler reports on the current production of 'Eugene Onegin'

Ensemble. In a Pleasure Garden - Music by Michele Dall'Ongaro and Verdi in a chamber music format, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Neat Idea - A song recital by James Gaughan and David Hammond, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Out of Nature - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening concert of the 2019 Chigiana International Festival

Ensemble. A Different 'Aida' - Denis Krief's new production in Rome, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. 'Proserpine' in Spoleto - An opera by Italian composer Silvia Colasanti, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Simply Exhilarating - Music for violin and piano by César Franck and Camille Saint-Saëns from Hungarian duo Boglárka György and Brigitta Sveda impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Joyful Combinations - Patrick Maxwell listens to Britten, McDowall, Horovitz and James Bassi, performed by Janet Lincé and The New Choir

Ensemble. San Francisco's Starry Rusalka - James Sohre sends the last of three reports from San Francisco Opera

Ensemble. Italian Operas in Miskolc - Anett Fodor sends her final report from the 2019 Bartók Plus Opera Festival

Ensemble. 'Orlando' Fights World War II In San Francisco - James Sohre describes an evening of considerable Handelian beauty

Ensemble. Lack of Originality - Anett Fodor has some reservations about Albin Fries' new opera 'Nora', which was given its first performance recently at the Bartók Plus Opera Festival

Ensemble. A Repertory 'Tosca' - Giuseppe Pennisi considers Puccini's opera as a real orchestral masterpiece

Ensemble. 'Carmen' Redeemed - James Sohre reports from San Francisco

Ensemble. Three Operas in Three Different Styles - Anett Fodor reports from Miskolc on La bohème, The Golden Dragon, Duke Bluebeard's Castle and a symphonic work by Scriabin

Sacred and Secular - Rossini's 'Petite Messe Solennelle' from Derby Bach Choir, Richard Roddis and friends, appreciated by Mike Wheeler

Pleasingly Eclectic - Mike Wheeler listens to James Curnow, J S Bach, Andrew Downes, Simon Lesley, Randy Newman, Lennon and McCartney, and Irving Berlin from Curzon Brass

Ensemble. Passion and Enthusiasm - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to an all-Beethoven programme from Gustavo Dudamel and the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

A Charming Touch - Mike Wheeler listens to Beethoven, Brahms, Granados and Mompou, played by Ingrid Cusidó

Ensemble. 'Music Makes a Town' - Anett Fodor reports from the opening gala of the 2019 Bartók Plus Opera Festival

Ensemble. A Mechanical Toy Box - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences the revival in Rome of Rossini's 'La Cenerentola'

Fun and Frolics - Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg and Mahler from Benjamin Grosvenor, the Hallé Orchestra and Gergely Madaras, heard by Mike Wheeler

Microtonal Trills and Tremolos - Luca Luciano pushes the boundaries of clarinet playing, impressing Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. On the High and Open Sea - Giuseppe Pennisi samples Italy's 2019 Ravenna Summer Festival

Ensemble. From the Poignant to the Zany - Russian-born musicians Yulia Northridge and Ekaterina Shetliffe, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Mahler's 'Resurrection' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on an Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia performance in Rome

Ensemble. Nothing but Praise - Opera North's concert-staged 'Aida', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Sheer Exuberant Fun - J S Bach's four orchestral suites played by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment thoroughly impress Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Supernatural Glow - Giuseppe Pennisi describes the Fiery Angel that hangs over Rome

Ensemble. An Impressive Joint Local Debut - Alex Binns and Dora Chatzigeorgiou step in with a Derby Cathedral recital, following a sudden last-minute cancellation, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. In Full Swing - Bellini's 'La Straniera' at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Tradition and Passion - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews a revival of Wagner's 'Die Walküre' in Naples

Ensemble. Cunningly Put Together - Debussy, Bartók and Stravinsky from Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, plus music by Kate Whitley and Eric Satie, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. The Best Buy - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the last 2018-19 subscription concert of Rome's Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti, given by Giuliano Carmagnola and Concerto Köln

Ensemble. Heavenly Sex - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Handel's 'Semele' from John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi ensembles

Ensemble. A Triumph - Alice McVeigh was at Covent Garden for the last performance of Gounod's 'Faust'

Ensemble. Bravado and Introspection - Mike Wheeler listens to Rachmaninov and Shostakovich from Daniel Kharitonov, Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia Orchestra

Ensemble. A Superb Mix of Music and Visuals - 'Snow White' danced to music by Gustav Mahler, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Exemplary Clarity - Haydn, Glass and Beethoven from the Marmen Quartet, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Rather Peculiar Opera - The new production of 'Ariadne auf Naxos' at La Scala Milan, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Venus Unwrapped - Keith Bramich is impressed by Noriko Ogawa, Kenneth Woods and the strings of the English Symphony Orchestra

Ensemble. Slavic Melancholy - Chris Swann, the strings of Sinfonia Viva and Frank Zielhorst perform Mozart, Arensky, Finzi and Tchaikovsky in a new performance space, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Fully Engaged - Richard Dacey steps down from his post as musical director of Derby Choral Union with a concert of Mozart, Vivaldi and Beethoven, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Easter Mozart - Ton Koopman conducts the Mass in C and the Jupiter Symphony, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Work of Great Integrity - Mike Wheeler listens to 'Lauda Creatoris' by Richard Roddis, plus choral music by Handel, Parry, André Caplet, Alessandro Costantini, Nancy Telfer and Dan Miller

Ensemble. A Not so Merry Widow - Damiano Michieletto's joint venture with La Fenice is not a success in Rome, as described by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Three Premieres in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Ivan Fidele, Taneyev, Scriabin and Stravinsky

Ensemble. Near-miraculous - Bach, Copland, Gibbons, Ramsey, Tomkins, Walton, Weelkes and Whitacre from Richard Roddis and the Derwent Singers, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Timeless Composition - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to interweaved movements from Beethoven and Ligeti, played by Herbert Schuch

Ensemble. A Powerful Experience - Rimsky-Korsakov and Messiaen from Ensemble Mirage, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Petrenko's Highly Dramatic 'Ninth' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a special concert in Rome

Ensemble. Perfect for the Role - Ginger Costa-Jackson in Bizet's 'Carmen' at San Diego Opera, reviewed by Ron Bierman

Ensemble. Roads of Genius - Mike Wheeler listens to Bohuslav Martinů's Fourth Symphony

Ensemble. Aptly Hallucinatory - Janáček's 'Katya Kabanová' from Opera North, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. An Ambitious Conceit - Mike Wheeler is impressed by James Brining's production of Mozart's 'The Magic Flute'

Vital Work - Margaret Fingerhut's UK piano recital tour raising awareness of the needs of refugees, recommended by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Contemporary 'Stabat Mater' - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to a new work by Nicola Piovani

Ensemble. A Fresh Pair of Ears - Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Sibelius from Vasily Petrenko and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Sir John and Romantic Music - Giuseppe Pennisi describes an English conductor's visit to Rome

Ensemble. Satisfyingly Mysterious - Mike Wheeler listens to Lyadov, Stravinsky and Rachmaninov from Derby Concert Orchestra

Ensemble. A Noble Simplicity - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the Roman debut of Gluck's 'Orfeo'

Ensemble. Rhythms and Algorithms - Mike Wheeler was at Sinfonia Viva's latest schools project

Ensemble. Engrossing and Thought-provoking - Ron Bierman reports on San Diego Opera's staging of Jake Heggie's 'Three Decembers'

Ensemble. A Clear Success - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to contemporary music in a baroque setting

Elective Affinities - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to German pianist Alexander Lonquich

Ensemble. Imaginative Freshness - Mike Wheeler listens to Beethoven, Mozart and Rachmaninov from Sasha Grynyuk

Ensemble. A Popular Music Drama - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Musorgsky's 'Khovanshchina' at La Scala Milan

Ensemble. A Roman Pietas - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Petrassi and Shostakovich in Rome

Ensemble. A Special Feature - Giuseppe Pennisi describes how Cagliari awakens Antônio Carlos Gomes' 'Lo Schiavo' after a long sleep

Ensemble. A Coloratura Contest - Giuseppe Pennisi witnesses a true triumph with Donizetti's 'Anna Bolena' in Rome

Ensemble. All About Collaboration - Music by Steve Reich impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Children's Game - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to special Rossini in a special place

Ensemble. Pin-point Delicacy and Precision - Mike Wheeler is impressed by the Eblana String Trio

Ensemble. High Jinks - Roderic Dunnett enjoys Opera Warwick's production of Offenbach's 'La vie Parisienne'

Ensemble. Sprightly, Polished and Gleaming - Mike Wheeler listens to Mozart, Malcolm Arnold and Lennox Berkeley from Alec Frank-Gemmill and Sinfonia Viva, conducted by Frank Zielhorst

Ensemble. An Anthem to Innocence - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences the Italian version of Benjamin Britten's 'The Little Sweep'

Ensemble. Deceptively Undemonstrative - Mike Wheeler listens to Canadian/Romanian pianist Teo Gheorghiu

Ensemble. A Brand New 'Carmen' Ballet - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the opening night at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Ensemble. Expressive Progression - Mike Wheeler enjoys a concert by Stephen Hough, Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra

Ensemble. An Odd Couple? - Kurtág and Brahms in concert, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Extreme Staging - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Palermo on the opening of Teatro Massimo's 2019 opera season

Ensemble. An Endurance Test - Rossini, Monti, J S Bach, Mozart, Handel, Vaughan Williams and Dave Maslanka from the Syzygy Quartet, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. For Students to Complete? - Accademia Bizantina's 'The Art of Fugue' enthralls Rome and Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Tragedy of Not Dying - A new Florence production of Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Collective Talent - Mike Wheeler marvels at The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain

Ensemble. The Touch of Gatti - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Wagner and Mahler from the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome

Ensemble. Simply Glorious - Verdi's 'La Traviata', live in high definition from New York Metropolitan Opera, heard by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Great Start - Freddie Meyers' new opera 'A Sketch of Slow Time' impresses Alice McVeigh

Ensemble. Unjustly Neglected - In this specially extended feature, Armstrong Gibbs' re-discovered 'Passion according to St Luke' impresses Roderic Dunnett

Ensemble. A view from the pit - John Joubert's 'Jane Eyre', praised by Alice McVeigh

Ensemble. Melting Rhapsody - Malcolm Miller enjoys Jack Liebeck and Danny Driver's 'Hebrew Melody' recital, plus a recital by David Aaron Carpenter

Ensemble. Vocal Glory - Massenet's 'Manon' in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

An Outstanding Evening - Bill Newman listens to American pianist Rorianne Schrade

 

 

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Founding Editor: Basil Ramsey (1929-2018);
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