The Fall of the House of Usher, Welsh National Opera

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, WELSH NATIONAL OPERA Frail genius and high finance come together in an unbalanced pair of crumbling houses

Frail genius and high finance come together in an unbalanced pair of crumbling houses

The Fall of the House of Usher is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s mistier tales, and although it has been turned into opera a few times, there are obvious difficulties. Debussy struggled for a decade to materialise a drama out of its haunting, neurotic atmosphere, and in the end failed, I would argue, because he was unable to distance himself enough from the central characters to construct a stage action about them.

Pascal and Ami Rogé, Howard Assembly Room, Leeds Grand Theatre

PASCAL AND AMI ROGÉ, LEEDS GRAND THEATRE Peerless pianism from a husband and wife partnership

Peerless pianism from a husband and wife partnership

For record collectors of a certain age, Pascal Rogé is Mr French Piano Music; if you’re looking for decent recordings of Ravel, Poulenc, Saint-Saëns and Debussy, he’s the man. Hearing him perform live, here with his wife and duet partner Ami Rogé, is an overwhelming, entertaining experience, though you’re occasionally confounded by Rogé’s calm, unruffled exterior.

Cabell, BBC Concert Orchestra, Lockhart, QEH

NICOLE CABELL Soprano sounds depths of grief and memory with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Keith Lockhart

Soprano Nicole Cabell sounds the depths in a thoughtful programme of grief and memory

Where did all the terrific programming energy of last year’s The Rest is Noise festival go? One answer – surprising given the orchestra’s former Friday night lite status – is into a two-concert adventure by the BBCCO. World to Come, World Once Known has been devised by Principal Conductor Keith Lockhart to reflect the Janus-headed phenomenon of music just before, during and after the First World War.

Rain

Beautiful, but that doesn't make this downbeat stealth game art

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance," wrote Aristotle. And you know what, the old Greek geezer knew a thing or two. While this downbeat stealth/platform game delivers a pure aesthetic thrill, it sadly fails to follow through in a cohesive theme or thrilling play.

Anne Schwanewilms, Roger Vignoles, Wigmore Hall

Perfect Schumann follows idiosyncratic Debussy as the great German soprano teams up with a master song-pianist

So we glide between seasons from one communicative diva giving her all in a vast space to another casting spells in intimate surroundings. While Joyce DiDonato, not perhaps one of the world’s great voices but certainly a great performer, was captivating the Proms multitudes on Saturday night, the Wigmore Hall’s concert year sidled in with Bryn Terfel and Simon Keenlyside, no low-key singers.

theartsdesk in Stavanger: A touch of Fröst

THEARTSDESK IN STAVANGER: A TOUCH OF FRÖST Swede co-hosts chamber groups in striking venues around Norway's amiable port

Swede co-hosts chamber groups in striking venues around Norway's amiable port

Three great pianists, one of the world’s top clarinettists and two fine string players in a single concert: it’s what you might expect from a chamber music festival at the highest level. What I wasn’t anticipating on the first evening in Stavanger was to move from the wonderful cathedral to an old labour club up the hill, now a student venue with two halls, for a late-night cabaret and hear five more remarkable performers.

Yevgeny Sudbin, Wigmore Hall

Death-haunted Liszt and transcendent Scriabin as you never heard them before

A second visit to hear this already great young Russian pianist in six months was meant for private pleasure only. Yet no-one in the Wigmore Hall audience last night, I’ll hazard a guess, will ever have heard Liszt playing like Sudbin’s in a first half which itself merited a standing ovation, so the world needs to know about it.

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