Category Archives: review

Lessons in Love and Violence: smouldering music fails to animate icy drama

Posted on June 29, 2018 by

‘Love is poison’, Mortimer tells the king in the first scene of Lessons in Love and Violence. The military adviser denounces his relationship with Gaveston, on whom he heaps favours while his subjects are starving. ‘Don’t bore me with the … Continue reading →

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Maya Fridman: Prokofiev’s Fiery Angel with hardrock attitude

Posted on June 12, 2018 by

The Russian-Dutch Maya Fridman (Moscow, 1989) plays classical and contemporary music as well as rock, jazz, folk and flamenco. Communication with the audience is her most important goal, so why limit herself to a particular style or genre? The website … Continue reading →

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La clemenza di Tito: exhilarating performance by Teodor Currentzis & musicAeterna

Posted on May 8, 2018 by

Classical music matters again. At least judging from the protests against the Stockhausen retrospective Aus Licht and the fierce polemics about the interventions of opera directors. Thus La clemenza Di Tito by Teodor Currentzis and Peter Sellars caused controversy even … Continue reading →

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Recensie #Reinbertbio: ‘De Leeuw teruggebracht tot menselijke proporties, mét behoud van magie’

Posted on March 27, 2018 by

Soms lacht het leven je toe. Zo stuitte ik geheel toevallig op een prachtrecensie van mijn biografie Reinbert de Leeuw: mens of melodie van Jaïr Tchong. Hij schreef zijn bespreking al in 2015 voor het online magazine Mixedworldmusic, maar deze was tot vandaag … Continue reading →

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Composer Marie Jaëll: French flair, Russian pathos

Posted on January 24, 2018 by

If her name had been Marc, not Marie Jaëll (1846-1925), she would undoubtedly be considered one of the leading French composers of the late nineteenth, early twentieth century. But she was a woman – therefore unimportant. During her lifetime praised … Continue reading →

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The Berio Project: Joseph Puglia performs 34 Duetti per due violini

Posted on January 14, 2018 by

On Sunday 21 January the American-Dutch violinist Joseph Puglia will perform all 34 of Luciano Berio’s Duetti per due violini in Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ Amsterdam. He’ll play together with 18 different violinists ranging from students to amateurs, including children … Continue reading →

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Zara Levina Piano Concertos: Rachmaninoff meets Shostakovich

Posted on December 28, 2017 by

The name of Zara Levina is not widely known, but this will soon change. The Swedish pianist Maria Lettberg recorded her two Piano Concertos together with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Ariane Matiakh. Their spirited performance of Levina’s … Continue reading →

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Opslaan en vernietigen: aanklacht tegen verkwanseling cultureel erfgoed

Posted on December 21, 2017 by

Een Saoedische prins betaalt 450 miljoen dollar voor een matig schilderij van Leonardo da Vinci; een Nederlandse politicus looft een kratje bier uit voor een nieuwe compositie. In een notendop vangen deze twee uitersten onze huidige omgang met cultuur. De … Continue reading →

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Ensemble 1904: loving CD portrait of almost forgotten Poldowski

Posted on December 7, 2017 by

Poldowski re-imagined is the name of the latest CD of the French Ensemble 1904. Poldowski who?? Like many of her female colleagues, this Polish-British composer (1879-1932) is as good as forgotten; also her name is problematic. Born as the youngest … Continue reading →

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Michel van der Aa: 3D-opera Sunken Garden in NTRZaterdagMatinee

Posted on October 18, 2017 by

In 2013, the ‘first 3D opera’ in the world was launched in the Holland Festival with a lot of fanfare. This fourth opera by Michel van der Aa (1970) got mixed reviews. Two years later the Dutch composer made a … Continue reading →

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