Castalian Quartet, Edinburgh International Festival 2023 review - nothing taken for granted

★★★★★ CASTALIAN QUARTET, EDINBURGH FESTIVAL Nothing taken for granted

A tightly constructed programme, including a surprising Turnage premiere

This concert, the Edinburgh International Festival debut of the Castalian Quartet, almost didn’t happen due to the illness of their second violin, Daniel Roberts. Then, a couple of days ago, in stepped Yume Fujise, leader of the Kleio Quartet, to save the day, which is no mean feat considering that this programme featured both a world premiere and the knottiest of Beethoven’s late quartets.

Classical CDs: Microphones, Massachusetts and mountains

CLASSICAL CDS Microphones, Massachusetts and mountains

Another great conductor celebrated in box form, plus vinyl reissues and rediscovered string quartets

 

Dorati monoAntal Doráti: The Mercury Masters – The Mono Recordings (Decca Eloquence)

Classical CDs: Penitence, pipe smoking and soot sprites

CLASSICAL CDS A conducting giant, Renaissance choral music and Japanese film scores

A conducting giant commemorated, plus Renaissance choral music and Japanese film scores

 

Klemperer BIGOtto Klemperer: The Warner Classics Remastered Edition (Warner Classics)

Prom 14: Lisiecki, BBCSO, Chan - fine textures and subtle delights

★★★ PROM 14: LISIECKI, BBCSO, CHAN Fine textures and subtle delights

Lisiecki approached the delicacy of spun glass in Beethoven, his cadenza dazzling

One of the undoubted highlights of Prom 14 was unprogrammed – following his commanding performance of Beethoven’s third piano concerto, Jan Lisiecki returned to the stage to give an encore of Chopin’s Nocturne in E Flat, Opus 9 No 2.

Prom 7: Urioste, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Otaka review – old friends, new worlds

★★★★ PROM 7: URIOSTE, BBC NOW, OTAKA Old friends, new worlds

Bittersweet Coleridge-Taylor, full-cream Rachmaninov – and a palate-cleansing Fifth

A full house, and television cameras: rarer events at the Proms than they used to be (or should be). Both lent a sense of occasion to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales’s visit to the Royal Albert Hall with their Conductor Laureate, Tadaaki Otaka. The cameras (for a BBC Four broadcast on Friday) had descended not for Cardiff’s long-serving Japanese stalwart – who first led BBC NOW in 1987 – but for Elena Urioste’s performance of the Violin Concerto by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

Benedetti, Kanneh-Mason, Grosvenor, RSNO, Søndergård, Usher Hall, Edinburgh review - gorgeous textures, starry soloists

★★★★ BENEDETTI, KANNEH-MASON, GROSVENOR, RSNO, SONDERGARD, USHER HALL 'All Star Gala' shines as much in the contributions of the regulars as in its guests

'All Star Gala' shines as much in the contributions of the regulars as in its guests

What’s better than having a star soloist on the billing for a concert? Three star soloists! The Royal Scottish National Orchestra billed this concert as its “All Star Gala”, and that’s more than just a shrewd marketing move (though it was that: this was the busiest audience they’ve had all season).

Grosvenor, Kanneh-Mason, Park, Hallé, Stasevska, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - the factors that make for a full house

★★★★ GROSVENOR, KANNEH-MASON, PARK, HALLÉ, STASEVSKA, BRIDGEWATER HALL Solo fireworks from a starry line-up and a very fine conductor in action

Solo fireworks from a starry line-up and a very fine conductor in action

What makes a classical box office draw these days? If there were a simple answer to that question, a lot of concert givers would be laughing all the way to the bank.

Mithras Trio, Wigmore Hall review - exhilarating, highly-toned performance

★★★★ MITHRAS TRIO, WIGMORE HALL Exhilarating, highly-toned performance

A real sense of elemental energy, as if we were next to a turbulent sea

The adrenalin was in full flow yesterday lunchtime at the Wigmore Hall as the dynamic young Mithras Trio delivered a vigorous, toned performance featuring Beethoven, Bridge and an electrifying new work by Joy Lisney. The trio, who have been together for just over five years, are part of Radio 3’s New Generation Artists scheme and dispatched the repertoire with an intensity and expressive range that was often as beguiling as it was exhilarating.

Leif Ove Andsnes, Wigmore Hall review - brooding richness and fiery fervour

★★★★★ LEIF OVE ANDSNES, WIGMORE HALL Brooding richness and fiery fervour

Diverse programme of bold, physical music plays to the Norwegian’s strengths

Leif Ove Andsnes has a distinctive voice at the piano; clear, controlled and powerful. He sits upright; his body barely moves, and his head sways gently to the melodies. But he never loses himself in the music, he is always in control.