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2004 Round Up for S&H We draw attention here to a small selection of live events covered by Musical Pointers which particularly stick in the memory, many of them not reported elsewhere. Leaving London's orchestral concerts aside for others to recall, we wnt often to the refurbished Wigmore Hall, where the Aviv String Quartet made a huge impact, confirmed later at South Bank. The variety of 'chamber music' (still avoided by many concert goers) is illustrated by just three unusual events which readers are likely to have missed; Tarleton's Jig at Blackheath, Alice & Martin Neary at St John's and O Duo in the Purcell Room. Opera has been various indeed. The colleges have delighted us as ever; Thomas's Mignon (seen twice at the Guildhall) was an unexpected pleasure. We enjoyed Raymond Gubbay's ill-fated venture at the Savoy far more than the newspapers told us we ought to have. At Holland Park, Puccini's La Fanciulla was one of the best in a good season. Clockwork, at the Linbury, down below the Royal Opera House, stays in the memory better than anything upstairs. Family Matters, by six young composers, anticipated the greatly deplored demise of the Bridewell Theatre, that irreplaceable music theatre centre. I Fagiolini made Monteverdi madrigals into a virtual opera in Greenwich, where the annual Early Music Festival jamboree brought huge crowds from many countries. Musical Pointers continues as the most eclectic of music review journals on the internet. Do browse also in its CD/DVD, Articles, Festivals (International & UK) and Competitions sections. Choosing the "best" of anything is invidious - with CDs and DVDs an impossibility - but selecting the 2004's best book for likely readers is easy; Susan Tomes' Beyond the Notes should be in every music lover's collection. Explore with us in 2005 ! see also 2003 Round-Up |