True! Except when the chords are unplayable...

Am I overusing the string-crossing texture?
Yes

Do I care?
No

No, she remained completely hidden until her hands, then arms slowly rose above the flowers. I found that magical.

Sums it up - it was great.

Great review David! I saw the livescreen - blown away by Schager and the orchestra as you were, and so much of the acting was superb in close-up. Also a truly beautiful awakening of Brünnhilde!

I wish HMRC would stop asking me every day if I'm ready for Making Tax Digital. I'm not, and I don't have to be because classical composers don't earn that much. Maybe next year when the threshold comes down. Then again, maybe not.

If I were feeling cynical I'd say it's a sort of publicity stunt for institutions, get a celeb in and maybe some more international students will want to come.

Looking forward to RBO Siegfried in the cinema tomorrow evening. Hope there's not too much popcorn munching!

Composer Stuart MacRae and mezzo soprano Beth Taylor

'@stuartmacrae.bsky.social's song cycle 'Medusa', written for mezzo soprano Beth Taylor and supported by the RPS Thea Musgrave Fund, will be performed for the first time at The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh as part of @edintfest.bsky.social on 11 August: royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/whats_on/stu...

Ah yes, I see it now! So now you have a different problem because of Bluebeard!

You could have it instead of Last Days, which is from the wrong century (I haven't seen it, sadly)

I forgot about Saint Francois d'Assise, that might replace my Henze choice tbh

Ooh quite a few of our late C20th ones are the same.

Salome
Wozzeck
Vec Makropulos
Elegy for Young Lovers
King Priam
The Mask of Orpheus
Prometeo
Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern
Bluebeard's Castle
Greek

Scene from Stuart MacRae's opera The Devil Within, 2016

A decade since I saw it. Well overdue a revival. www.theartsdesk.com/opera/devil-...

Thanks Margaret!

Still probably my favourite of my operas.

Wow - what an experience that must have been!

Work is proceeding apace, with her incredible voice in mind!

That's a major failure of education, isn't it?

Without wanting to come over all 70s-sitcom-grumpy-husband, why does caramel always have to be so bloody salty these days? Wasn't it better when it was sweet?

Happy Birthday John! I'll be joining you on that summit in about 7 months.

You know something I really, really hate? Email apps trying to write replies for me, and 'autocorrecting' as I type (it's usually wrong).

No better feeling than when you think you have to go out to a party then discover it's not for another week.

Pavarotti is on the TV and I just had a pang of concern that the young people might not have heard of Pavarotti. They should be told.

Blimey, what did he do to deserve that?!

And many thanks to @royalphilsoc.bsky.social, Thea Musgrave and Peter Mark for their extraordinary generosity and vision in establishing these new awards.

Very excited indeed to be working with mezzo Beth Taylor on a new piece next year!

Thank you @francisrouthtrust.bsky.social for supporting our new project on John Rae, which will include new works by @stuartmacrae.bsky.social and Ailie Robertson, as well as 2 Nordic composers. Morenews coming very soon!

Thanks for the mention David - I'd love nothing more than a revival of that piece!