Winterreise Bostridge Uchida Wigmore Hall

I've heard Winterreise so many times over the years I've lost count. Hundreds! And I've heard Ian Bostridge and Mitsuko Uchida do Winterreise several times (their CD is good). What could be new? But my friend who has heard almost as many Winterreises as me (and as many Bostridge recitals) went to Bostridge and Uchida at the Wigmore Hall last week and heard refreshing and rethought. READ the review in Opera Today. Really good Lieder performers are doing a kind of emotional workout as they connect to the music and poetry. In fact it's much the same too for the listener. The more you put in, the more you get out.

Coming up : Pelléas et Mélisande at the Barbican - wonderful and truly Francophone, even Keenlyside. But what happens? Loud, long boo from some smartass in the audience. Someone so clever he needs to prove it to the world. Some people are only happy when they're miserable, and make sure everyone is miserable too. It was Natalie Dessay's Birthday. Extra bunches of flowers, and the whole cast and orchestra sang "Happy Birthday".