bigfanof

Historian, arts etc ... no politics (note to self) - happier living in the past, mostly

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

John Coke of Thorne in Ottery St Mary church - in the height of 1632 funerary ware

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Thought it would be marmite and @guardian and clique would strongly disapprove on tut-tutting political grounds #NeverMindTheMusic. So it proved.

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Just back from wonderful #Krishna #JohnTavener his master's unique voice, come away uplifted somehow, humming tunes too, bravo to @grangeparkopera and huge team for bringing it to life - we loved it.

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

#Parsifal staging @glyndebourne a huge fail. So sad. Thankfully sat far away thus not too distracted by director's unimaginative, prosaic take. Musically excellent, dominated by huge-voiced #JohnRelyea #Gurnemanz The only innocent fools listed here ...

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

As a non-German speaking Brit @haendelfest following Keiser's #Octavia was tough but natives little better off. No-one really cared as this totally neglected genre-defying composer is so tuneful, witty & fun! #LauttenCompagney and young singers 100% deserved standing ovation

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

5* evening @haendelfest #Poro @ohOrkiestra under Pastuszka, Lezhneva #OrnamentationQueen, Cencic, Richardot, Hymas, Edlin, Brés-Feuillet 100% top form, the old Ulrichskirche absolutely rocking for the finale, unbelievable, 🙏🏼 no staging to distract from pure #MusicalTalent

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Halle for @haendelfest a superbly sung & played #Agrippina #WalterSutcliffe helps show the comic madness BUT his "anti-capitalist" Las Vegas power&sex&money&drugs concept tires very very rapidly after the interval, he needs to visit @rockimpark_com to see capitalism at its best

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Brilliant night @grangeparkopera for #BrynTerfel double bill, Gianni Schicchi was excellent fun but #Rachmaninoff #Aleko was superb: ingeniously apt staging #PunksArePeaceful, gorgeous music, singing @AilishTynanEire @luisgomestenor and playing @BBCCO

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

@KWhiteTenor missed hearing a voice like yours last night. Have you ever sung the role? Difficult for modern sensitivities. But Das Rheingold has no heroes either and still quite popular.

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Lovely to see a Rameau @GarsingtonOpera performed in the UK, a rare occasion #Platée Players of @EnglishConcert on fine period-performance form tho a heavy interpretation (of a cruel story) and lacklustre conducting took shine away. Et incroyable, zero haute-contre!

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Already looking forward to 2024 @BeyondShakes Xmas Revels @WhiteBearTheatr if the team can recover from huge and hugely appreciated 2023. Many thanks. (Also excellent food, beer, wine, atmosphere at refurbed @SE11WhiteBear highly recommended

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Interesting post-play chat #GeorgePeele's #OldWivesTale with @AnnalieseC & @RobertCrighton @BeyondShakes wasn't it really a (short and very entertaining) satire on #PhilipSidney's (very long but also very entertaining) #Arcadia? much material for podcasts itself

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Great urinals #Dec2023 so very Kennington SE11 (so very welcome)

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Great week of pre1600 ?drama ?prose ?fragments (whatever) triumphantly ended with "GeorgePeele" #OldWivesTale hilarious genre mash-up vividly brought to life by @BeyondShakes ensemble well-meshed after 4 days of different-play-a-night-rep
#SamuelDaniel #Cleopatra my fave, truly!

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

@shaksper can't believe you weren't down @WhiteBearTheatr with the #WinterRevels rather than glued to your TV!

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

@ShakespeareRes @henrywriothesl3 @RobertCrighton @BeyondShakes Beware that cat

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Miaow de force from @RobertCrighton brilliantly purring and pawing his way through Beware the Cat by William Baldwin. A sort of X-rated, Tudor revenge, version of Dr Doolittle.

Looking forward to #OldWivesTale last night of the #WinterRevels https://t.co/YLs5yy5z4p

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

#ArdenOfFaversham an average property developer doesn't deserve murder, his Alice who brought it about is mad or bad or ? @BeyondShakes ensemble stepped up to make this committee?-play coherent - nice nod to @ShakeAuthTrust "chasm challenge" by making #BlackWill a Brummie

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Remarkably dramatic evening with @BeyondShakes #SamuelDaniel #Cleopatra @WhiteBearTheatr
Strange as so little conventional action, just spell-binding storytelling of her last hours, in her voice but much also her voice in the reports of others, all subtly different, and modern

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

Pity those who missed tonight, #SamuelDaniel shining bright

What a neglected treasure, done incredible justice by @BeyondShakes's very fine team in #Cleopatra @WhiteBearTheatr

#ArdenOfFaversham for 3 of 5 #WinterRevels tomorrow

[bigfanof @HistoryNThings]

@The_Globe To @WhiteBearTheatr for the last of the 3 of the #WinterRevels because @the_globe long ago abandoned it's #EarlyModernDrama mission and lost its audience too https://t.co/2OWXdCf0iS