musicOMH

4 days ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy

So THIS is what they do for an encoreWhen Pulp announced their reunion in 2022, everyone presumed it would be a similar situation when they last reformed in 2012 – a few nostalgia-baiting shows for fans seeking a return to their Britpop days, desperate to see Jarvis Cocker point that finger one last time. And, for a while, that’s precisely how it seemed. Then came the surprising announcement that Sheffield’s favourite band of misfits had signed an album deal with Rough Trade. And now we have More.

5 days ago | musicomh.com | Sam Smith

Could this presentation of the tale feel any more ghostly? It is hard to believe that The Flying Dutchman is the first opera by Richard Wagner that Opera Holland Park has ever presented, because it suits the venue so well. The shapes found in the roof of the tented auditorium naturally suggest sails, and are imitated on this occasion in the backdrop to the stage.

1 week ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy |John Murphy

Sprawling ninth album is another pleasingly unpredictable swing from one of our more intriguing and exciting pop starsIt’s hardly a revelation to say that Miley Cyrus is unconstrained by the norms of the music industry. Whether it be THAT VMA incident, various songs that allude to recreational drugs or an experimental psych-rock album with The Flaming Lips, Cyrus doesn’t do things the conventional way. In a sense, it probably explains her extraordinary longevity.

1 week ago | musicomh.com | Barry Creasy

The Early Music vocal ensemble is joined by lutenist Jonas Nordberg for performances of works by Carlo Gesualdo, Alessandro Piccinini and Giovanni Kapsberger. The history of music is full of quirky composers, but the Prince of Weird was surely Carlo Gesualdo.

1 week ago | musicomh.com | Melanie Eskenazi

Superb performances, playing and production. Garsington Opera took us to sunny Italy for its first night of the season, and to (mostly) gloomy Russia for its second. Both productions were brilliantly achieved, and sure to be part of the house’s future repertoire.