Nicholas Kenyon

2 days ago | yahoo.com | Nicholas Kenyon

After the death of Henry Purcell in 1695, his friend the organist Henry Hall wrote a notable couplet: “Sometimes a HERO in an Age appears/But scarce a PURCELL in a Thousand Years”. Unfortunately, the prediction turned into near-prophesy, as English music produced no-one to rival Purcell’s genius, arguably until Elgar, 200 years later. Purcell died far too young at 36, but he had made his mark.

2 days ago | telegraph.co.uk | Nicholas Kenyon

Revolutionary, cosmopolitan and, above all, fun - there is much to learn from the great English composerAfterthe death of Henry Purcell in 1695, his friend the organist Henry Hall wrote a notable couplet: "Sometimes a HERO in an Age appears/But scarce a PURCELL in a Thousand Years". Unfortunately, the prediction turned into near-prophesy, as English music produced no-one to rival Purcell's genius, arguably until Elgar, 200 years later. Purcell died far too young at 36, but he had made his mark.

1 week ago | telegraph.co.uk | Nicholas Kenyon

One major advantage of unveiling a production of Wagner's Ring cycle year by year over four years is that you don't need to decide at the beginning how it will end. The director of the Royal Opera's new year-by-year staging, Barrie Kosky, has said that he does not know how this story will turn out by 2027: in this second instalment, his vision is an unvaryingly bleak and tortured picture of damaged nature and toxic relationships.

1 month ago | telegraph.co.uk | Nicholas Kenyon

The gloomy, silent figure in her black dress is back, casting her disapproving shadow over her son Don José in Damiano Michieletto's production of Bizet's Carmen. When it was new last year, this show received a fairly cool reception; now revived by Dan Dooner, it has gained in strength and discipline, marshalling the hordes of chorus members and boisterous children (from the Youth Opera Company) with much firmer impact.

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Nicholas Kenyon

OpinionNicholas KenyonThu, April 10, 2025 at 10:58 AM UTC3 min readThe gloomy, silent figure in her black dress is back, casting her disapproving shadow over her son Don José in Damiano Michieletto’s production of Bizet’s Carmen. When it was new last year, this show received a fairly cool reception; now revived by Dan Dooner, it has gained in strength and discipline, marshalling the hordes of chorus members and boisterous children (from the Youth Opera Company) with much firmer impact.