Oslo Philharmonic, Mäkelä online review - focus, flair and midwinter heartbreak

★★★★ OSLO PHILHARMONIC, MAKELA ONLINE Focus, flair and midwinter heartbreak

Hyperactive filming nearly ruins musical magnificence culminating in ideal Sibelius

Artists’ management Harrison Parrott has started a concert streaming platform called Virtual Circle on emusiclive.com, launched two days ago and only available as a live event - no catch-ups. Watching its debut concert - the Oslo Philharmonic with the much-buzzed-about Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä - it struck me that it must be terribly difficult to film an orchestra effectively.

Kanneh-Mason, CBSO, Gražinytė-Tyla online review - muted celebrations

★★★★ KANNEH-MASON, CBSO, GRAZINYTE-TYLA ONLINE Muted centenary celebrations

Eloquent playing to an empty hall, as the CBSO marks its centenary in social isolation

“This year was supposed to be so very different” said Stephen Maddock, Chief Executive of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra when he spoke to theartsdesk earlier this year. Talk about an understatement. The CBSO has hardly been alone in having cherished plans wrecked.

Classical Music/Opera direct to home 5 - orchestral manoeuvres in the light

CLASSICAL MUSIC / OPERA DIRECT TO HOME Orchestral manoeuvres in the light

Filleted Bach, Beethoven and Ravel, complete anthemic Sibelius

Necessity has certainly been the mother of invention over the past  three weeks, and orchestras especially, left in the dark with no means of coming together other than virtually, have had to adapt double-quick. The players, of course, are artists, and in league with good technical teams they've yielded some winners which may bring more people to the real thing when life as we knew it resumes.

Lise Davidsen, James Baillieu, Barbican review - opulence and the promise of greatness

★★★★ LISE DAVIDSEN, BARBICAN Opulence and the promise of greatness

German song not always in focus, but the soprano's Sibelius was awe-inspiring

So much pressure is on for Lise Davidsen to be the next Kirsten Flagstad or Birgit Nilsson, but the question has to be asked: is this just The Voice - a big "just" when a dramatic Wagnerian soprano is at stake - or The Complete Artist?

theartsdesk in Zurich and Tallinn: celebrating great Estonians

THEARTSDESK IN ZURICH AND TALLINN Celebrating a great Estonian conductor and composer

A Swiss inauguration for Paavo Järvi, a significant birthday for Erkki-Sven Tüür

Culturally, "the little country that could" - as Estonia's ex-Prime Minister and historian Mart Laar dubbed it - punches well above its weight. While it educates the young with a musical instrument made available to every child, Estonia continues to shine through its musical leaders.

Prom 25: Gabetta, BBCSO, Stasevska review – stunning Weinberg debut

★★★★ PROM 25: GABETTA, BBCSO, STASEVSKA Stunning Weinberg debut

Stimulating programme introduces a new composer and conductor to the Proms

This concert from the BBC Symphony Orchestra marked the first performance of composer Mieczysław Weinberg at the Proms, an important milestone in the recent surge of interest of his music. When Weinberg, a Russian composer of Jewish descent and Polish birth, died in 1996, he was little known in the West, and had fallen from favour in a post-Communist Russia that associated his music with its Soviet past.

Prom 20: Kuusisto, BBCSSO, Dausgaard review – Sibelius between folk and art

★★★★ PROM 20: KUUSISTO, BBCSSO, DAUSGAARD Sibelius between folk and art

Tastes of the composer's Finnish roots – and the first edition of a masterpiece

I’m not quite sure that I should review this Prom, since I performed in it. Before anyone summons the white coats, let me clarify. As the encore to a mind-expanding evening, Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto returned to the stage with his band of folk musicians. He asked the audience to hum a sort of drone, and then sing open-mouthed, as they sung and played a traditional song. How did we do? OK, I thought.