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Classical Music

Best Classical Music and Opera 2019

By Claudia Pritchard on 26/9/2019

Women conductors make waves, the classics are refreshed by our leading orchestras, and opera goes from strength to strength

Journey to the Underworld in ENO's Orphée. Photo: Catherine Ashmore

Orphée, English National Opera review ★★★★★

Outstanding new production of Philip Glass's opera based on the Orpheus myth as interpreted on film by Jean Cocteau. Netia Jones's production features top-class singing and exciting visual effects. After Orpheus rescues Eurydice from the Underworld, he must never look at her, or she will slip back...

WHEN

15 Nov 2019 – 29 Nov 2019, Six performances

WHERE

English National Opera
London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES

Beethoven 250

A year-long celebration of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven in 1770. Political turmoil, social unrest ... the world into which Beethoven was born in 1770 may seem remote, but today's audiences recognise many of the emotions and much of the background that run through his vast output

WHEN

14 Sep 2019 – 31 Dec 2020, events over 15 months, times vary

WHERE

Venues throughout London

34th Christmas Festival, St John's Smith Square

Christmas music performed by the best London and visiting choirs and orchestras, in Westminster's atmospheric Georgian venue (pictured). The annual festival includes Carols by Candlelight (14 Dec), Bach's mighty Christmas Oratorio (22 Dec) and Handel's Messiah (23 Dec).

WHEN

Sun 8 Dec to Mon 23 Dec; 17 concerts, times vary

WHERE

St John's Smith Square, Smith Square, Westminster SW1P 3HA

City of London Sinfonia concerts

Celebrating the words of TS Eliot and music of Benjamin Britten, an immersive concert at Southwark Cathedral. Then some new tales for the Arabian Nights, with Ruth Padel, DBC Pierre and others and Rimsky-Korsakov's explosive score, Scheherazade.

WHEN

Wed 20 Nov, 7:30PM; Sun 1 Dec, 3PM

WHERE

Southwark Cathedral; Queen Elizabeth Hall

Handel's Messiah is an essential element of Christmas

Messiah: London Christmas performances of Handel's oratorio

It wouldn't be Christmas without Handel's great oratorio Messiah, a masterwork of story-telling in moving aria and grand choruses. Choose from 10 outstanding performances in churches and concert halls across the capital.

WHEN

Throughout December

WHERE

Various locations

Chineke! orchestra plays at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 7 Nov, 23 Feb and 12 May 2020

Classical Season 2019/20, Southbank Centre

Music across the centuries will ring out at Southbank Centre in its new classical season from September 2019 to July 2020, with top international artists, favourite London musicians, including Chineke! Orchestra (pictured) and works old and new

WHEN

23 Sep 2019 – 07 Jun 2020, 10-month season of concerts; times vary

WHERE

Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX

Russian-born Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Photo: Chris Christodoulou

Best Russian music: London concerts that dazzle

For drama, passion and big orchestral sounds there is no beating Russian composers, conductors and players. Here are the Russian experts to catch in London, among them London Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Vladimir Jurowski (pictured).

WHEN

September to July

WHERE

Various locations

The Magic Flute returns to Covent Garden

Opera at Covent Garden: all the shows this season

A bumper year opens with Don Giovanni's womanising brought to book, and there's more Mozart with The Magic Flute (pictured). Look out, too, for Joyce DiDonato in Agrippina and a family opera for Christmas, The Lost Thing.

WHEN

16 Sept to 4 Jan 2020

WHERE

Royal Opera House
Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

Venus Unwrapped, Kings Place

A year-long celebration of music written and, often, performed by women, from the Italian renaissance to the present day, with scores of events ahead.

WHEN

10 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019, events all year; times vary

WHERE

Kings Place
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG

Madam Butterfly returns to ENO with Natalya Romaniw in the title role. Photo: Tom Bowles

English National Opera: five top 2019/20 shows to book now

Catch supersoprano Natalya Romaniw in Madam Butterfly (pictured) in the 2019/20 season which features four operas about the Orpheus and Eurydice legend, plus classics by Puccini, Mozart, Dvorak and more....

WHEN

1 Oct to 17 April 2020

WHERE

English National Opera, Coliseum, St Martin's Lane WC2N 4ES

Charismatic conductor Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra's Barbican residency in November. Photo: Mark Allen

Barbican Classical Music 2019/20

A wave of visiting world-class orchestras, celebrations for a big Beethoven year, and many exciting new commissions are highlights of the packed classical music season 2019/20 at the Barbican. Big draws include the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel (pictured)

WHEN

14 Sep 2019 – 31 May 2020, nine-month season of concerts, talks and cross-genre events

WHERE

Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS

Sunday Service, Boulevard Theatre

Before or after Sunday lunch, a new and civilised way to listen to classical music with a cutting edge. At the new Boulevard Theatre, a weekly series of afternoon concerts features the most exciting young players working across all musical genres, among them Hermes Experiment (pictured).

WHEN

Sun 3 Nov, 2PM to Sun 5 Jan, 2PM

WHERE

Boulevard Theatre, 6 Walker's Court Soho W1F 0BT

Best Classical Music and Opera 2019

Women conductors make waves, the classics are refreshed by our leading orchestras, and opera goes from strength to strength

Orphée, English National Opera review ★★★★★

Beethoven 250

34th Christmas Festival, St John's Smith Square

City of London Sinfonia concerts

Messiah: London Christmas performances of Handel's oratorio

Classical Season 2019/20, Southbank Centre

Best Russian music: London concerts that dazzle

Opera at Covent Garden: all the shows this season

Venus Unwrapped, Kings Place

English National Opera: five top 2019/20 shows to book now

Barbican Classical Music 2019/20

Sunday Service, Boulevard Theatre

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Vladimir Jurowski

London Symphony Orchestra

Royal Opera House

English National Opera

Verdi

Puccini

Tchaikovsky

Handel

Rossini

Britten

BBC Proms on Television: weekend screen musical highlights

Opera at Covent Garden: all the shows this season

Royal Opera House Autumn Highlights

Ashley Riches interview: Meet the quick-change bass-baritone

Soprano Natalya Romaniw interview: 'My mum liked the chorus best!'

Bryn Terfel interview: 'I have broken my own rule'

Best Classical Music and Opera 2019

Women conductors make waves, the classics are refreshed by our leading orchestras, and opera goes from strength to strength

Orphée, English National Opera review ★★★★★

Beethoven 250

34th Christmas Festival, St John's Smith Square

City of London Sinfonia concerts

Messiah: London Christmas performances of Handel's oratorio

Classical Season 2019/20, Southbank Centre

Best Russian music: London concerts that dazzle

Opera at Covent Garden: all the shows this season

Venus Unwrapped, Kings Place

English National Opera: five top 2019/20 shows to book now

Barbican Classical Music 2019/20

Sunday Service, Boulevard Theatre

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Vladimir Jurowski

London Symphony Orchestra

Royal Opera House

English National Opera

Verdi

Puccini

Tchaikovsky

Handel

Rossini

Britten

BBC Proms on Television: weekend screen musical highlights

Opera at Covent Garden: all the shows this season

Royal Opera House Autumn Highlights

Ashley Riches interview: Meet the quick-change bass-baritone

Soprano Natalya Romaniw interview: 'My mum liked the chorus best!'

Bryn Terfel interview: 'I have broken my own rule'

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