George Hall
Recent articles by George Hall
Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades (Pique Dame): the opera Tchaikovsky described as his finest achievement
Based on a novel by Alexander Pushkin, Tchaikovsky saw The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame) as his greatest achievement. Here, we tell the story of this opera and name its best recordings
A guide to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
We delve into the revolutionary genius and lasting impact of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Puccini: Symphonic Suites (arr. Carlo Rizzi)
Berlioz: The Damnation of Faust
Puccini: orchestral songs and works
Why are concert overtures no longer a part of concert programmes?
Overtures were once considered an essential feature of a typical orchestral concert. So, George Hall asks three of today’s leading conductors, why have they largely fallen out of favour?
Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Rodwell: Jack Sheppard
Who was Dame Joan Sutherland, the acclaimed soprano?
George Hall salutes the great Australian singer Dame Joan Sutherland, so peerless in the bel canto roles of Donizetti, Bellini and others
Wagner: Siegfried
Smyth: Der Wald
Rodgers & Hammerstein: Oklahoma!
Nathaniel Hackmann, Sierra Boggess, Louise Dearman et al; Sinfonia of London/John Wilson (Chandos)
Mozart • Pergolesi: La servante maîtresse etc
Adèle Carlier, Marc Scoffoni, David Tricou; Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal/Gaétan Jarry (Versailles)
Fabrice Bollon • Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen etc
Samantha Gaul, Irina Jae-Eun Park (soprano) et al; The Lily’s Project/Fabrice Bollon (Naxos)
You Did Not Want for Joy (Sampson/Wadsworth)
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Matt Wadsworth (lute) (Deux-Elles)
Pietro Mascagni: why the Italian composer should be remembered for more than Cavalleria rusticana
Famous for Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni would probably be well known for his other operas too had the tide of political history not turned against him, says George Hall
Ravel: L'Heure espagnole; Bolero
Isabelle Druet, Julien Behr, Loïc Félix, Thomas Dolié, Jean Teitgen; Les Siècles/François-Xavier Roth (Harmonia Mundi)
Felix Mendelssohn: Choral Works
MDR Leipzig Radio Choir/Philipp Ahmann (Pentatone)
Franz Lehár: meet the composer behind one of the most popular operas ever, The Merry Widow
George Hall looks at the life and music of Franz Lehár, a composer who brought both huge popularity and a new respect to the world of operetta - and gave the world The Merry Widow
Monologues (Bonitatibus/d'Aronzo)
Anna Bonitatibus (mezzo), Adele d’Aronzo (piano) (Prospero Classical)
Spontini: La vestale
Marina Rebeka, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Tassis Christoyannis; Flemish Radio Choir; Les Talens Lyriques/Christoph Rousset (Bru Zane)
Ave Maria – Sacred Arias (Joseph Calleja)
Joseph Calleja (tenor), Malta Philharmonic Orchestra/Sergey Smbatyan (Decca)
Mozart: Die verstellte Gärtnerin (La finta giardiniera)
Sandrine Piau, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Julian Prégardien, Lydia Teuscher, Olivia Vermeulen; Munich Radio Orchestra/Andrew Parrott (CPO)
Rota: The Florentine Straw Hat
Piotr Buszewski, Friedemann Jahnig, Ivan Oreščanin; Graz Opera Chorus; Graz Philharmonic/Daniele Squeo (Capriccio)