#matthew brook

Mostly Mezzo Mondays: a recurring (though not weekly) feature where, on Monday nights, I blog a list of the upcoming broadcasts that have caught my eye on World Concert Hall. My interests: baroque vocal music, art song recitals, and a list of favorite singers.

Simon Keenlyside sings works by Brahms, Poulenc, Ravel and Schubert in recital with Malcolm Martineau. Deferred broadcast Thursday, February 14 on Catalunya Música.*

Renée Fleming sings works by Barber and Schubert as part of a concert with the Orchestre de Paris. Live broadcast Thursday, February 14 on Radio Classique.

Brits do Berlioz, part une: Sarah Connolly, Andrew Staples, Roderick Williams, and Matthew Brook sing L’enfance du Christ with the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales. Live broadcast Friday, February 15 on BBC Radio 3.*

Ahead of the Juditha Triumphans video stream from Amsterdam later this month, you can listen to an audio-only broadcast. The performers in the DNO production include Gaëlle Arquez in the title role, Teresa Iervolino, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Francesca Ascioti, Polly Leech, and Gloria Giurgola. Deferred broadcast Saturday, February 16 on NPO Radio 4.*

Brits do Berlioz, part deux: Karen Cargill sings La Mort de Cléopâtre with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; they’re subsequently joined by the actor Samuel West and singers Andrew Tortise, Sam Furness, and Neal Davies for Lélio, ou Le retour à la vie. The whole concert is scheduled for live broadcast Sunday, February 17 on BBC Radio 3.*

A recital by mezzo Lea Desandre and lutenist Thomas Dunford is scheduled for live broadcast on the Swiss radio station RTS Espace 2, apparently as part of a young musicians series. The program details have not been published in advance, so far as I can find out. Sunday, February 17 on RTS Espace 2.

Nice news for Connolly devotees: this Friday’s performance of L’enfance du Christ with the BBC National Orchestra and Chrous of Wales will not only be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 but also livestreamed on the orchestra’s website. 

Mostly Mezzo Mondays: a recurring (though not weekly) feature where, on Monday nights, I blog a list of the upcoming broadcasts that have caught my eye on World Concert Hall. My interests: baroque vocal music, art song recitals, and a list of favorite singers.

This was going to be an even bigger all-mezzo edition of MMM until I realized that the Susan Graham broadcast would probably be over by the time I finished this post. 

Sarah Connolly is scheduled to sing Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection,” with Maria Bengtsson and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin conducted by Vladimir Jurowski on Wednesday; the concert will be broadcast Thursday, September 21 on Deutschlandfunk Kultur. (I think this will be available on demand for a while afterward via the station’s Mediathek; go to the 21st on the little calendar and scroll down the day’s playlist to find the concert.)

Swedish national treasure Anne Sofie von Otter leads the cast of an operatic adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s last film, Autumn Sonata, by Finnish composer Sebastian Fagerlund, with what appears to be a Swedish and Finnish cast. This one is not a radio broadcast but a video livestream! Saturday, September 23 on the Opera Platform. (I think the Opera Platform archives videos for a while after they’re streamed.) 

This performance of Handel’s Semele from Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society features a strong cast including Sarah Tynan in the title role, opera Tumblr fave Paula Murrihy in the dual role of Juno and Ino, Jeremy Budd as Jupiter, and one of my personal faves, Matthew Brook, as Cadmus and Somnus. Tim Mead plays Athamas, a sort of wet noodle role that is usually (IMO) undercast; I may try to catch this broadcast just out of sheer curiosity to see what Athamas is like when sung by a top-shelf countertenor. Sunday, September 24 on WCRB.

Reminder! Today’s the day for the livestream of the English Concert’s Ariodante in concert from Carnegie Hall. It starts at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, which makes it 7:00 p.m. BST or 8:00 p.m. CEST. 

Joyce DiDonato gets top billing in the title role and the marketing of this concert has put her front and center, but I want to put in a few words for some faves from the rest of the excellent cast, most of whom I’ve heard live. Sonia Prina is a BEAST, truly scary as the evil Polinesso, yet riveting. David Portillo is the rare tenor whose voice I really enjoy listening to (SORRY TENORS) and he sings all three of Lurcanio’s big arias beautifully. And I really want to make a special mention of Matthew Brook, an English bass-baritone who will be singing the King of Scotland. I “discovered” him in a Rameau concert in London a few years ago and thought he was by far the best thing about the whole concert—he was running circles around everyone else on the stage in terms of acting and expression and connection with the audience.

Excellent news! The English Concert tour of Handel’s Ariodante with a primo cast (Joyce DiDonato, Christiane Karg, Mary Bevan, Sonia Prina, David Portillo, and Matthew Brook) will be broadcast live from Carnegie Hall on Sunday, April 30. Hat tip to my hero Àlex (who runs World Concert Hall) for tweeting the alert.

Mostly Mezzo Mondays: a recurring (though not weekly) feature where, on Monday nights, I blog a list of the upcoming broadcasts that have caught my eye on World Concert Hall. My interests: baroque vocal music, art song recitals, and a list of favorite singers.

First off: the aforeblogged broadcast of Handel’s opera Lucio Cornelio Silla was quite a good listen, in my opinion, so I think it’s worth mentioning that it is still available online (warning: autoplay audio). I believe the listen on demand period for Ö1 is seven days, so this should stay up at least until Saturday. Very satisfying performances from Sonia Prina, Vivica Genaux, Roberta Invernizzi, Sunhae Im, et al.

Next up: a video livestream of Cavalli’s opera Il Giasone from the Grand Théâtre de Genève. The large cast is led by Valer Sabadus as Giasone (Jason) and Kristina Hammarström as Medea. Friday, February 3 on Arte. 

We’ve now missed the Wiener Staatsoper livestream of Mozart’s Don Giovanni (sorry!) but you can catch a deferred audio broadcast and since it’ll be on Ö1, I expect it’ll remain available on demand for a week. The cast includes Simon Keenleyside in the title role, Erwin Schrott as Leporello, and Dorothea Röschmann as Donna Elvira. Saturday, February 4 on Ö1. 

Also up for deferred broadcast on the 4th: Handel’s Orlando with Iestyn Davies, Erin Morley, Sophie Junker, Diana Moore, and Matthew Brook. Harry Bicket conducts the English Concert. Saturday, February 4 on Rai Radio 3. 

Everyone loves a rock spin right? Rock Spin Check out Matthew Brook’s guide to pulling off this great move. Continue reading Untitled