The Telegraph

Damon Albarn interview: the magic and mystery of Dr Dee

Damon Albarn and Rufus Norris have let the subject of their opera Dr Dee – part of London 2012 Festival – become an obsession, says Shakespeare scholar Jonathan Bate.

How Ivor Novello’s songs may become old friends to his listeners

Ivor Novello gave much pleasure to millions, but why has he been forgotten?

El Sistema and Gustavo Dudamel: rescuing children with music

As Gustavo Dudamel’s Simon Bolivar Orchestra helps launch London 20120 Festival, Ivan Hewett travels to Venezuela to witness the music system of El Sistema that produced it – and helps to save children from lives of violence and crime.

El Sistema timeline: from a Caracas garage to the Albert Hall

The history of El Sistema, the Venezuelan musical education programme which has produced the Simon Bolivar Orchestra.

BBC Music Magazine

All BBC orchestras and BBC Singers to stay open

Newly published report recommends all ensembles continue but with ‘substantial savings’.

The Guardian

Dudamel’s heroic Beethoven challenge

Beethoven’s third symphony – the Eroica – is an exposing piece for any orchestra. Will the newly matured Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra make the grade?

LA Times

Gustavo Dudamel in talks to compose score for Simon Bolivar film

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel is expected to lend his musical talent to a new movie about the life of Simón Bolívar.

Gramophone

Takacs Quartet, Sir Mark Elder, Andrew Litton and Rachel Podger

The latest edition of the Gramophone Podcast is now online.

Arts Journal – Slipped Disc

US orch hires new music director after 25 years

The Illinois Philharmonic played happily for more than two decades with Carmen DeLeone, who retired last year.

Criticising the critics: Only one UK newspaper reviews Youtube’s hottest pianist

Somehow none of London’s critical pack found time to attend Valentina Lisitsa’s groundbreaking debut at the Royal Albert Hall.

Cologne fires opera chief

The saga of who runs opera in one of Germany’s biggest cities – and whether there will be any opera at all next year – took an upturn last night when the city fired the opera intendant, Uwe Eric Laufenberg.

NY Times

Late-Night Drinks With a Pianist

David Greilsammer, known for his inventive programs of piano works, will play one of the late-night concerts at the Mostly Mozart Festival.

(Written on June 22, 2012 )

Described by some critics as “Lacking incisiveness and drive” (Edward Seckerson Independent), featuring a “hideous” set and “incoherent” costumes (Stephen Pritchard The Observer) and as “a modern, degenerate dystopia” (Claire Seymour, Opera Today), ENO’s recent production of Don Giovanni came under much scrutiny for the director Rufus Norris’ controversial interpretation.  However, there were also some more positive reviews by journalists such as Paul Levy from the Wall Street Journal who thought that the production offered “a Don Giovanni for our times.”

Did the production push the boundaries of operatic interpretation, or was it “a modern step too far”?  WildKat PR went to one of these performances and spoke to members of the audience to find out what they really thought of this controversial adaptation of Mozart’s opera.  Here’s what we found out:

(Written on January 11, 2011 )