News Göttingen International Handel Festival

Jommelli Il Vologeso; Stuart Jackson, Rachel Kelly, Gemma Summerfield, Angela Simkin, The Mozartists, Ian Page; Signum Classics Reviewed by Robert Hugill on 27 October 2021 Star rating: 4.0 (★★★★) A live recording of The Mozartists performance from 2016 reveals an exciting exploration of an opera notable for its sense of drama and innovationWhen Ian Page and Classical Opera performed Niccolo Jommelli's 1766 opera Il Vologeso at Cadogan Hall in 2016, it was simply part of their Mozart 250 project, exploring influential works from 1766. Jommelli's operas are important waystations in the journey from high baroque to classical but they don't get that many outing so this was lovely opportunity to hear one live, with a fine young cast. But five years later, and with 18 months of enforced quiet, Ian Page started to think about the recording that had been made of the performance. There were downsides, the opera […]

Classical Music News of the Week, May 4, 2019 

First-Ever "Burgers, Bourbon, & Beethoven Festival"Death of Classical and Green-Wood are wildly excited to announce the first-ever Burgers, Bourbon & Beethoven Festival at Green-Wood Cemetery, May 25, 2019, from 7-10PM. The event will feature competing burger recipes that will be sampled and rated by the audience, a whiskey tasting of boutique bourbons alongside craft cocktails, and a performance of Beethoven's immortal Fifth Symphony by the String Orchestra of Brooklyn, conducted by Eli Spindel. Vying for the coveted Golden Spatula will be Harlem Public, represented by chef Chad Vigneulle, and Madcap Cafe, represented by chef Heather Fuller. Audience members will taste and rate each recipe via the Burger Club website (www.brgrclub.com), providing a real-time leaderboard of the top burger. Hot dogs will also be available, just because... The food will be washed down by a sampling of whiskeys generously provided by Angel's Envy, Blackened American Whiskey, Five & 20, NY Distilling […]

Laurence Cummings on the London Handel Festival, Stravinsky, opera, time-travel and more Laurence Cummings (Photo Robert Workman) The London Handel Festival is London's annual celebration of Handel and his music, based at St George's Church, Hanover Square which was Handel's place of worship whilst he lived in London. This year's festival includes a few changes and innovations alongside a programme which mixes opera, chamber music, oratorio and much more. I recently met up with Laurence Cummings, Music Director of the festival, to talk about the highlights of this year's festival in a wide-ranging conversation which took in Laurence's other festival at Göttingen, recording Handel opera live, time-machines and a recent venture into Stravinsky. Laurence Cummings (credit Anton Säckl) Samir Savant who took over as Artistic Director of the London Handel Festival in 2016, has introduced the idea of having the festivals themed, and for this […]

Handel Lotario; Marie Lys, Sophie Rennert, Ursula Hesse von den Steinen, Jorge Navarro Colorado, FestpielOrchester Göttingen, Laurence Cummings; ACCENT Reviewed by Robert Hugill on Jan 16 2018 Star rating: 4.0Handel's rarely done Lotario emerges as far less of a problem opera in this engaging performance from a young castThe latest of the live recordings on the Accent label from the Göttingen International Handel Festival is something of a rarity. Laurence Cummings directs the FestpielOrchester Göttingen in Handel's Lotario with a cast which includes Sophie Rennert, Marie Lys, Ursula Hesse von den Steinen, Jorge Navarro Colorado, Jud Perry and Todd Boyce. Lotario is a strange piece. Premiered by Handel in 1729 as part of the so-called Second Academy, the re-launch after the demise of the original Royal Academy of Music, it was written for a new company including […]