Archive for the ‘Press’ Category

New CD out NOW!

Sinfonieorchester Basel Sophia Burgos, soprano Benjamin Appl, baritone Daniel Ottensamer, clarinet Ivor Bolton, conductor


"On their new CD the Sinfonieorchester Basel plays Luciano Berio's arrangements ranging from Bach to Mahler under the baton of Ivor Bolton. A special feature is the bonus CD featuring the first recording of Berio's Beatles songs.

The Italian composer Luciano Berio is known for his experimental compositions and as a pioneer of electronic music. With his dazzling oeuvre he is one of the central characters of music of the 20th century."

(

Read full article »

Ivor Bolton Triumphs as Handel-Connoisseur

“How should Ivor Bolton start his residency at the Philharmonie Essen in a better way than with Georg Friedrich Händel? Already 25 years ago he celebrated triumphs with Handel’s operas at the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich.” (Westdeutsche Allgemeine WAZ, 5.11.2019)   “Händel dedicated himself twice to St. Cecilia: 1739 in the Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day and 1736 Alexander’s Feast. (…) In Essen the Concerto Köln, ChorWerk Ruhr, three soloists and Ivor Bolton did so. And how! All of them proved in an utmost appealing way to be profound ambassadors of Cecilia so that listening was an immense joy from the...

Read full article »

Successful Agrippina in Munich

"On July 23rd the second new production of the Munich Opera Festival premiered: "Agrippina". Alice Coote sung the title role, Franco Fagioli her son Nerone, Ivor Bolton conducted the Bayerische Staatsorchester. Barrie Kosky showed once more that he is the warlock of person direction. [...] What comes from the orchestra pit is also hugely entertaining. It bubbles and tingles, sounds energetic and thrilling. At the same time Ivor Bolton makes sure that the tones maintain their substance and that the Staatsorchester (playing with Baroque bows) is able to bring in its own "original sound". (BR Klassik) "The conductor Ivor Bolton, who started the...

Read full article »

“The Secret Fauré II” is Album of the Week!

Ivor Bolton's new album "The Secret Fauré" with the Sinfonieorchester Basel is Classic FM's Album of the Week! "The Secret Fauré II gives us a window shop display of his talents as a composer for orchestra. The album features the well-known Pavane, and some longer works, including Ballade for Piano and OrchestraÉlégie for Cello and Orchestra, and Masques et Bergamasques Suite."

Read full article »

“American Night” in Baden-Baden

On June 7 the Sinfonieorchester Basel opened the Whitsun Festival in Baden-Baden with the star-singers Thomas Hampson, Nadine Sierra and Michael Fabiano. "Das Publikum im vollbesetzten Festspielhaus hörte ein breites Repertoire von Liedern aus der Zeit der Pilgerväter bis hin zum Glamour des Broadways. [...] Eine großartige Visitenkarte hinterlässt nicht zuletzt das Sinfonieorchester Basel unter der bemerkenswerten Leitung von Ivor Bolton, der seinen ganz eigenen Stil beim Dirigieren hat. Mit großer Freude und ausladenden Armbewegungen schöpft er bei Gershwin »An American in Paris« aus dem Vollen – bravo Maestro!" "The audience in the full house heard a...

Read full article »

CD-Release: The Secret Fauré II

After the orchestral songs in the first part of the project the Sinfonieorchester Basel under the baton of chief conductor Ivor Bolton now presents a number of other orchestral and concert works of the French composer Gabriel Fauré.   "Originally written for the salon (and premiered there with Fauré at the piano), the composer himself edited his fantasies and berceuses for violin or violoncello and piano for orchestra already during his lifetime. The Sinfonieorchester Basel under Ivor Bolton plays these editions with great beauty." (rbb Kultur 6.6.2019) "The Sinfonieorchester Basel under the leadership of Ivor Bolton recorded the ten pieces of this album...

Read full article »

Billy Budd Best New Production!

Deborah Warner's production Billy Buddpremiered at the Teatro Real in Madrid on January 31st 2017 under the baton of Ivor Bolton, has won the 2018 International Opera Award for Best New Production! The debut run starred Brindley Sherratt, Toby Spence, Duncan Rock and David Soar, and won rave reviews across the board: Fernando Remiro of Bachtrack said “British director Deborah Warner has created what might be the Billy Budd of the next decade, an instant classic”. Also, the DVD of the Production just won the Diapason d'Or 2018 as best Opera...

Read full article »

The Secret Fauré

New CD out now!

 Soprano Olga Peretyatko, Tenor Benjamin Bruns, the Balthasar-Neumann-Choir and of course the Sinfonieorchester Basel present less known orchestral songs and suits of the French composer Gabriel Fauré.

"Bolton also knows the Romantic. He proves with his latest CD, dedicated to an underestimated composer: the French Gabriel Fauré." (BR Klassik )
"There are composers, whose fame is linked to a small number of works. Gabriel Fauré is one of them. Apart from “Pavane” and “Requiem” there...

Read full article »

Mozart’s Lucio Silla available on DVD and Blu-Ray

The staging of Mozart's Lucio Silla at the Teatro Real in Madrid is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray!

 

‘‘An appealing staging, excellent musical direction and a strong cast’’ – SEEN AND HEARD

‘‘Mozart’s playful flirting with opera seria is a real treat for music lovers. Composed two years after his furious Mitridate, Lucio Silla shows a 16-year-old genius who was starting to realise just how much could be achieved in the twisted margins of classic operatic forms. Its score is an exciting succession of innovations: mosts of the recitatives are accompagnato, the old structure of arias is...

Read full article »

“The Rake’s Progress” – Reviews

After the successful performances of The Rake's Progress at the Danish National Opera in Amsterdam we want to share some reviews with you: operamagazine.nl "Compelling „Rake’s Progress“ at the Dutch National Opera. Igor Stravinsky’s only full-length opera “The Rake’s Progress” celebrated Thursday Night at the Dutch National Opera a widely acclaimed premier. Both singers as well as musicians and – rarely at the DNO – director and designer shared the approbation. It was dead silent in the hall when tenor Paul Appleby as Tom and Julia Bullock as Anne Truelove sang the poetic texts of the librettists Wysten Hugh Auden and Chester Kalman in a...

Read full article »