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Archive for March, 2010

Press

Monday 15th March, 2010

Press quotes – Tamerlano/Royal Opera House/March 2010

"Ivor Bolton conducted with pace and flair, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment brought customary vigour and poise to the score." Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, 14.03.2010 "In the pit, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment could not be faulted for their magnificent performance under the very able baton of conductor Ivor Bolton, who carefully highlighted the shades of darkness and light in the score and ensured suitable contrast in terms of tempo and dynamics between musical numbers. The string playing was glorious and precise, and special praise is due to the flutes and recorders in the duet “Vivo in te”....

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Ivor’s blog

Wednesday 3rd March, 2010

Tamerlano Blog 16 (3 Mar 2010)

Welcome first free day in what seems like weeks! Of course it’s not entirely free. Some homework necessary on upcoming ‘Medea in Corinto’ for Munich, and Aix’s ‘Alceste’ and even for 2012 Salzburg Festival. Then stacks of E-mails. This medium, so wonderful in so many ways is also imprisoning. The communication is almost too easy. As someone whose life is not primarily about sitting down at a computer throughout the day, I am frequently facing ninety minutes of E-mail replies at midnight after a long day’s conducting. Discover to my delight I can attend (with my son Samuel) my beloved Arsenal...

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Ivor’s blog

Tuesday 2nd March, 2010

Tamerlano Blog 15 (2 Mar 2010)

Today is the general rehearsal! The first time we submit to the verdict of a public. First, as always with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, we have a warm-up rehearsal. We work the overture, discuss some tuning matters and also some of balance and tidy-up some continuo moments. We have unwanted accompaniment from noisy stage-work, but it’s clear to all the guys are working flat-out, so we press-on. Rehearsal goes well: very few mishaps and hugely committed performances from our cast. The orchestra is sublime. Graham, Kurt and I are invited to BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune” programme...

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Ivor’s blog

Monday 1st March, 2010

Tamerlano Blog 14 (1 Mar 2010)

Today is our final stage and orchestra rehearsal. It’s also Sarah Fox’s orchestra rehearsal for Asteria. She is singing some of the later performances. She is a consummate musician and has sung the role (with me) before in Pierre Audi’s Bayerische Staatsoper production. The morning goes well and we make all but one of the numbers I had intended to do. Not bad. Afterwards notes for all singers, continuo-team, etc. and then Graham and I rehearse with Christine Schäfer for a couple of hours. The evening is spent listening to edits of the Mozarteum Orchestra’s recent recording of Bruckner’s Symphony No....

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