Category: Music

I am usually at home but one year I was in Warsaw, another I was on an aeroplane, so Robert had to do it for me, once I was in France and one year I forgot.

Lunchtime concerts at the Royal College of Music are a top tip. They are usually free, only last an hour and though you may know the pieces the performers will be a surprise.

If you are at a loose end in London this coming Sunday evening this performance of JS Bach’s St Matthew Passion might appeal. There is no charge but there will be a retiring collection to recover some production costs.  

In 2008 I saw a double bill in Trieste but first a bit about the city. It has one of the finest squares in Europe, one side of which opens onto the Adriatic. The architecture reflects the history of the city as the main port for the Austro-Hungarian empire. In its heyday it was the… Continue reading Tahiti

If you find Wagner so long-winded that you wriggle, fidget and long for a drink, I know the feeling. A friend has a special Wagner wrist-watch that discreetly lights up so she can check the time. Another friend told me that the thing is, Waggers takes his time, doesn’t rush things – tantric opera. The… Continue reading Wonderful Wagner

An opera that I will swerve is Mittwoch aus Licht (Wednesday from Light) composed by Karlheinz Stockhausen. It received its premiere in Birmingham in 2012. It may be a while before it gets another outing.