Review: Bartók: Piano Concertos (Pierre-Laurent Aimard, San Francisco Symphony, Esa-Pekka Salonen)
Bartók but not as you know him: Aimard re-boots the Piano Concertos.
November 20, 2023
Michael Quinn
Michael Quinn is a former theatre director and BBC Radio Drama producer who writes about classical music, opera and theatre. A former Deputy Editor of Gramophone, he is obituaries editor for The Stage, booklet editor for SOMM Recordings, and programming consultant to Northern Ireland’s newest arts centre, The Portico of Ards.
Articles by Michael Quinn
Review: Fantasia (Igor Levit)
Levit’s intense, intimate and involving delve into fantasy is compelling.
October 16, 2023
Review: Saariaho: Reconnaissance (Helsinki Chamber Choir, Nils Schweckendiek)
A fine, superbly performed farewell to Kaija Saariaho.
August 23, 2023
Review: Marsalis: Symphony No. 4, The Jungle (Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, MSO)
Marsalis enters The Jungle to claim Gershwin and Bernstein’s crown.
August 16, 2023
Review: Piers Lane Goes to Town Again (Piers Lane)
Encores take centre-stage in Piers Lane’s entertaining recital.
June 28, 2023
Review: Machine Dreams (Zubin Kanga)
The final frontier: classic sci-fi filtered through cutting-edge electronica.
May 13, 2023
Review: Puccini: Turandot (Radvanovsky, Kaufmann, Jaho, Pappano)
A bracing Turandot with Alfano’s extended completion for the first time on disc.
May 5, 2023
Review: Big House (Ruisi Quartet)
A fine, time-collapsing debut on disc by the Ruisi Quartet.
April 21, 2023
Review: Threading the Light (Felicity Wilcox)
An atmospheric collision between voices, strings and electronics exploring ritual.
March 19, 2023
Review: James MacMillan: Christmas Oratorio (Lucy Crowe, Roderick Williams, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, Mark Elder)
A heartfelt, fervently performed Christmas Oratorio for today.
February 17, 2023
Review: Indies & Idols (Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti)
A striking, genre-splicing pot-pourri finds Tognetti and ACO on fine form.
January 5, 2023
Review: Aura (Ruth McGinley)
Beautifully arranged, sublimely played piano treatments of traditional Irish airs.
December 20, 2022
Review: John Adams (Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi)
The Swiss produce a superb 75th birthday celebration of an American great.
December 11, 2022