Sir Andrew Davis conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Berlioz’s large-scale setting of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Performed and recorded at the Barbican on 22nd January 2016. Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette Michèle Losier (mezzo-soprano) Samuel Boden (tenor) David Soar (bass) BBC Symphony Orchestra BBC Symphony Chorus Sir Andrew Davis (conductor) Available online until 25th February 2016: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06xy9w4
Orphée et Eurydice has been voted Opera of the Year 2015 by the readers of Dutch magazine Place de l’Opera. The production received more than half of the hundreds of votes that were released last week. There were five productions nominated for Opera of the Year 2015, compiled on the basis of the “top 3” lists of 16 opera critics. Four of them had Orphée et Eurydice as their number one choice. Here are the final results: 1. Orphée et Eurydice (Dutch Touring Opera) 2. Lohengrin (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) 3. Dialogues des Carmelites (National Opera) 4. Benvenuto Cellini (National Opera) 5....
This evening, 8pm UK time on 22nd August, as part of the “Festival de La Chaise Dieu”, Handel’s Israel in Egypt will be broadcast live on Radio France Musique: http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/le-concert-du-soir/2015-ete/la-chaise-dieu-2015-israel-en-egypte-de-haendel-08-22-2015-20-00 The lesser-performed and more doleful first part “The Ways of Zion do Mourn” will be performed as well as the more dramatic and descriptive 2nd and 3rd parts. This is the last of three performances of the work here in France, with “Les Cris de Paris”, directed by Geoffrey Jourdain.
“Samuel Boden…More pristine vocal flourishes than his would be hard to come by.” The Financial Times, 15 July 2015 “It was Samuel Boden’s beautifully lyric voice which was to the fore, but there was a firmness to his fluid high tenor too.” Planet Hugill, 15 July 2015
Here’s the Reisopera’s trailer for the show: Only three performances left to do here in the Netherlands before going to France for Charpentier’s version of the same story (watch this space for details).
“The tireless Samuel Boden was totally convincing as the shell-shocked Orpheus…with a honey-toned, easy upper range. Although plaintive lyricism brought out the best in his voice, he could also handle the coloratura showpiece “L’espoir renaît dans mon âme”, and this while carrying Cupid on his shoulders. Mr Boden maintained such a gut-wrenching intensity throughout the arduous performance” ★★★★☆ Backtrack.com, 13 May 2015 “British tenor Samuel Boden is perfectly cast as Orpheus: not only does he have a wonderful timbre, but he also conveys with great conviction the changing moods of the title hero”Translated from the Cultural Press Agency, 2 May 2015 “Particularly impressive is...
