Classical: The Compact Collection ROB COWAN ON THE WEEK'S CD RELEASES

From: The Independent - London | Date: August 13, 1999| Author: ROB COWAN | Copyright information

This week's cue is colour, with Karol Szymanowski's opera King Roger first in line. The libretto concerns a Norman king who initially resists but ultimately responds to the god Dionysius, whose inner life is hard to fathom and whose character is as complex as Szymanowski's own. King Roger is both concise and infinitely suggestive. And while its principal roles offer plenty of scope for expressive vocalising (Queen Roxana's curvaceous aria was once arranged as a fiddle solo), the bulk of its i...

Read all of this article with a FREE trial to HighBeam Research

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles from HighBeam Research

Classical: The Compact Collection ROB COWAN ON THE WEEK'S CD RELEASES
The Independent - London ; This week's cue is colour, with Karol Szymanowski's opera King Roger first in line. The libretto concerns a Norman king who initially resists but ultimately responds to the god Dionysius, whose inner life is hard to fathom and whose character is as complex as Szymanowski's own. King Roger is both
CLASSICAL CDS.(News)
The Birmingham Post (England) ; SZYMANOWSKI King Roger (EMI Classics): This time last year the musical world was reacting excitedly to performances of Szymanowski's heady opera King Roger from CBSO forces under Sir Simon Rattle. Birmingham, the BBC Proms and the Salzburg Festival all responded deliriously to this unfolding of a
Szymanowski: King Roger; Symphony No.4 (Sinfonia Concertante)
Opera News ; SZYMANOWSKI: King Roger; Symphony No.4 (Sinfonia Concertante) Cl Szmytka, Rapp, Milne; Hampson, Minkiewic Langridge, Gierlach, Burden; Andsnes, piano (Symphony); City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, Symphony Youth Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, Rattle. 19961998. English translation only EMI 56823-2
Arts: Closet drama Opera; KING ROGER SYMPHONY HALL BIRMINGHAM
The Independent - London ; IS KING Roger the great unsung gay opera? Might it even fall foul of Clause 28? As the late Christopher Palmer pointed out, the experiences that fired its composer, Karol Szymanowski, to write it date from the same period as Thomas Mann's, which inspired the latter to create the character of von
MUSIC: CD REVIEWS: CLASSICAL
The Independent - London ; SZYMANOWSKI: KING ROGER (AND SYMPHONY NO 4) (EMI) Last summer, Simon Rattle celebrated the near-end of his 18-year relationship with the CBSO by bringing his entire Birmingham forces to the Proms for Szymanowski's King Roger. It's just the sort of early 20th-century landmark score for which Rattle
Rare outing for King Roger; Few people have ever had the chance to hear Szymanowski's opera King Ro ger in Britain. Roderic Dunnett urges Birmingham audiences not to miss next wee k's opportunity.
The Birmingham Post (England) ; On Friday July 17, audiences at Symphony Hall will be treated to some of the most sumptuous music ever written. Imagine Rachmaninov's magnificent Vespers merged with Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov, then coupled with Strauss's Salome or Elektra , plus a dash of Delius or Ravel, and you'll get the
Palermo: King Roger Opera
The Sunday Telegraph London ; Despite the almost operatic craziness of Sicilian life, a surprisingly small number of great operas are set in Sicily. Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana and Verdi's Les Vpres Siciliennes come to mind immediately, but for his first production as the new music director of Palermo's magnificent Teatro
(book review)
Notes ; ... generous range of music examples and illust rations. The standards of the latter slip only with two rather sketchy, poorly drawn maps, and in appendix 3, Catalogue of Musical Works, there is an unfortunate error in labeling as First Published the column that ...
A significant treasure CBSO Symphony Hall
The Independent - London ; During his 18 years as CBSO principal conductor, Sir Simon Rattle has unearthed and revealed countless unimagined treasures to trusting audiences. Last night, he pulled from his music director's hat perhaps the last, but certainly one of the most signifi cant. Rattle has investigated Szymanowski
A significant treasure; CBSO Symphony Hall.
The Birmingham Post (England) ; During his 18 years as CBSO principal conductor, Sir Simon Rattle has unearthed and revealed countless unimagined treasures to trusting audiences. Last night, he pulled from his music director's hat perhaps the last, but certainly one of the most signifi cant. Rattle has investigated Szymanowski