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Also in London: cultured sound of the Bayerisches Staatsorchester at the Barbican
The orchestra under Mark Elder tackle the chilly Sinfonia antartica and the questioning Ninth
Mark Elder conducted the lush, Wagnerian orchestration richly, but too often slowed into a tension-free crawl
Conducted with impressive concentration, the music is played with definition, clarity and sheer zing
A warmly blended, grandiloquent performance, rather than one that taps into the drama’s wit and political intrigue
A new cycle of the composer’s symphonies promised a distinct performing style — and delivered one
Mark Elder secures first-rate, detailed playing from The Hallé and the recordings are blazingly alive
The Hallé, with its most subtly blended playing, is one step nearer a complete opera cycle on the composer
Mary Zimmerman’s production offers a semi-surreal take on Dvořák’s poignant fairytale
Collection includes the choral triptych ‘The Spirit of England’ and ‘A Voice in the Wilderness’
The Hallé’s carefully rehearsed playing builds patiently towards symphonic goals of resolute, cumulative power
A lavish presentation of the half-finished opera, with soprano Angela Meade, tenor Michael Spyres and baritone Laurent Naouri
This 19th-century French confection is charming but something is lost in translation
The singers in David McVicar’s staging were reassuringly excellent
Alice Coote has the right warmth of voice, if not quite the consistent bloom on the tone, for the much-loved song cycle
The ‘opéra comique’ lifts off with zest in the performance and native French input to the spoken dialogue
On their latest recording together Mark Elder and The Hallé unfurl the symphony’s sails for an expansive journey
Rare French version offers galvanising, period-instrument playing under conductor Mark Elder
The Hallé perform with uncommon beauty and melancholy, but the music-making increasingly gets under one’s skin
Recording recreates the 1872 premiere of one of the composer’s most scintillating comic operas
Venera Gimadieva meets Verdi’s vocal demands with ease, but this is an arid production
A strong revival, featuring a moving performance from Simon Keenlyside in the title role
The last of the Proms’ seven Wagner operas only fitfully took flight
The album radiates exaltation, serenity and originality
Mark Elder takes a more spacious approach, emphasising lyricism over intensity
International Edition