Top 10 Shakespeare-inspired works
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Shakespeare has probably inspired more music than any other author; here are 10 of the best works
No 1
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet
Santa Cecilia Orchestra / Sir Antonio Pappano
'He builds the big melodies into richly emotional climaxes without...' Review
No 2
Verdi Falstaff
Soloists; Philharmonia and Chorus / Herbert von Karajan
'After one has grown up with a much-loved...' Review
No 3
Elgar Falstaff
BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sir Andrew Davis
'As digital Falstaffs go, Sir Andrew Davis’s all-too-swiftly deleted...' Review
No 4
Berlioz Romeo and Juliet
Soloists; London Symphony Orchestra / Colin Davis
'It is encouraging to find the LSO Live series of super-budget discs...' Review
No 5
Berlioz Béatrice et Bénédict
Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon / John Nelson
'this new set is a genuine competitor; rather to my own surprise...' Review
No 6
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet
LSO / Valery Gergiev
'Although Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet is not through-composed in the...' Review
No 7
Tchaikovsky Hamlet
Russian National Orchestra / Vladimir Jurowski
'At first glance this might look like the traditional pairing of...' Review
No 8
Verdi Otello
Soloists; Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra Bastille / Myung Whun Chung
'Just as Othello is a difficult play to bring off in the theatre...' Review
No 9
Rossini Otello
Soloists; Ambrosian Opera Chorus; Philharmonia Orchestra / Jesús López-Cobos
'The Desdemona is Frederica...' Review
No 10
Adès The Tempest
Soloists; Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Thomas Adès
'Thomas Adès’s “ism”-defying...' Review