Tony Fitzpatrick, UK. blog@tonyfitz.uk

William Waldegrave in his autobiography noted that he decided to dispense with his ambitions for the "highest office" having seen the incumbent (Margaret Thatcher) in action at close hand, and concluding he "didn't have it in him". I can understand why, given the impact that the job has had on the health, marriages, reputations and sanity of all of the holders of the role of Britain's "first among equals" most senior politician. Iain Dale's book summarising the career and impact of the fifty five people to have held the office of Prime Minister from Sir Robert Walpole in 1721 to Boris Johnson is fascinating. The book concludes before Johnson's ignominious eviction from office, but his calamitous impact on both our nation's history and the future of the Conservative Party is otherwise well described and foretold. Each PM gets a chapter, written by a different author - academics, politicians, journalists, and in latter cases former colleagues. In most I learnt something, and whilst the way in which the evaluation of the impact of each subject varies, you get a very good appreciation of each. I found the chapters on 18th and 19th century PMs harder going, as the historical background was less familiar, but very much enjoyed the later sections. Rachel Reeve's summary of Harold Wilson's career was especially good, and Sky journalist Adam Boulton's forensic destruction of the legacy of David Cameron was both fair and rather tragic. Very much glad to have read this.

First published November 2020. Read on Kindle.

Francisco Coll (born in 1985 in Valencia) is a Spanish composer, and currently a Fellow at the Guildhall School of Music. This prom premiered his interesting, vibrant and enjoyable Cello Concerto, "powered by dances ranging from the tango to the waltz", and as an encore a short piece "The Secret Life of T". The wonderful 1945 version of the Firebird was the main piece in the second half, and terrific. Paul Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice; Francisco Coll: Cello Concerto (BBC co-commission: UK premiere); Giacomo Puccini: Preludio sinfonico; Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird – suite (1945 version). Sol Gabetta (cello). BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tianyi Lu. First broadcast 18 August 2024.

Having read seventeen of Donna Leon's novels about the Venetian Detective, Guido Brunetti, I am well familiar with his approach, methods, background and even culinary tastes. So, I was curious. Would the BBC adaptation of Leon's first novel, Death in La Fenice, be faithful to my mental image of the Commissario? The answer was - mostly. Maybe he was just a little more informal, but the biggest surprise however was the portrayal of the supporting cast. His wife Paolo was rather more involved in the investigation than I expected, and the Vice Questore, Patta, whilst still a pratt, was rather more of a dandy - with an English Saville Row suit and a silver topped cane. Broadcast in two parts, Brunetti was played by Julian Rhind-Tutt, and the story more or less stuck to the plot of the book. Well done and I enjoyed it. My review of the original book and plot is at https://tonyfitz1959.postach.io/post/death-at-la-fenice-by-donna-leon-read-14-8-17-5-5.

Cast included Julian Rhind-Tutt, Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong, David Horovitch, Clive Hayward, Jeany Spark, Siobhan Redmond, Jane Slavin, Hugh Ross and Susan Jameson. Dramatised by D J Britton from the novel by Donna Leon. Music by Julie Cooper. Produced and directed by Eoin O'Callaghan. Broadcast in two parts by BBC Radio 4 on 4th and 11th August 2024.

I last sat in the summer outdoor theatre at Stratford during the COVID pandemic, and enjoyed very much a performance of A Comedy of Errors. This wasn't so great. Partly because it was raining which never helps, and partly because the staging and cuts to the text (down to 80 minutes) made it less endearing. A simple, marine blue (why???) painted stage and backdrop, the cast in variety of costumes, and a leading man with a foot injury which made the wrestling scene a little bizarre. So an interesting experience, but maybe not a suitable setting for this interpretation of the gender swap comedy. Surely at least we could have had a pot plant or similar standing proxy for the Forest of Arden?? Musically good, with all of the cast playing a jazz instrument providing a relaxed summer vibe, albeit with a wet stage!

Weill's Symphony No. 1 in one movement 'Berliner Symphony' from 1921 and the Symphony No. 2 'Symphonic Fantasy' from 1934, together with the music for the satire "The Seven Deadly Sins" from 1933, the latter a collaboration with Bertolt Brecht. Katharine Mehrling (Anna), Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz. CD released August 2024.

Giuseppe Verdi's 1874 Messa da Requiem for four soloists, double choir and orchestra. First performed in Milan, and then conducted by Verdi himself in London in 1875. BBC National Chorus of Wales, Crouch End Festival Chorus, BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conducted by Ryan Bancroft. Latonia Moore (soprano), Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano), SeokJong Baek (tenor), Solomon Howard (bass). Originally broadcast on 23.7.24.

Anna Clyne - The Gorgeous Nothings (BBC commission: world premiere); Olivier Messiaen - Turangalîla Symphony. The Turangalîla-Symphonie is the only symphony by Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992), written 1946 to 1948 on a commission by Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the premiere being conducted by Leonard Benrstein in 1949. It features the ondes Martenot, an electronic instrument, for various sensuous and dramatic parts of the piece. The Gorgeous Nothings, written specially for the Proms, is Anna Clyne's (b. 1980) response to the ‘spellbinding wordsmithery’ of American poet Emily Dickinson, scored for orchestra, amplified voices and real-time electronic processing. BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Nicholas Collon. The Swingles; Steven Osborne (piano); Cynthia Millar (ondes Martenot). Originally broadcast 30 July 2024.

A programme of classic American pieces. Wynton Marsalis: Herald, Holler and Hallelujah! (UK premiere); Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid – suite; Samuel Barber - Adagio for strings; George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue; Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question; John Adams - Harmonielehre. Harmonielehre was composed in 1985 and is a wonderful piece. Adams wrote that the piece "was a statement of belief in the power of tonality at a time when I was uncertain about its future" and that it was "a one-of-kind once-only essay in the wedding of fin-de-siècle chromatic harmony with the rhythmic and formal procedures of Minimalism". Harmonielehre is German for "study of harmony", and is a reference to Arnold Schoenberg's 1911 music theory textbook of the same name, a study of tonal harmony. Adams has said that the piece was inspired by a dream he had in which he was driving across the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and saw an oil tanker on the surface of the water abruptly turn upright and take off like a Saturn V rocket. This dream and the composition of Harmonielehre ended a writer's block Adams had been experiencing for 18 months. Sinfonia of London conducted by John Wilson. Steven Osborne (piano). Originally broadcast 4th August 2024.

Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances; Busoni: Piano Concerto. My favourite piece of Rachmaninov and a work I didn't know before this concert. Ferruccio Busoni (1866 – 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His compositions include several works for piano, among them a monumental Piano Concerto, over 70 minutes long. His 1904 Piano Concerto in C major, Op. 39 (BV 247) is one of the largest such works ever written, over five movements and incorporating a male voice choir. Played without a break (not followed at this performance!), in the final movement an invisible men's chorus sings words from the verse-drama Aladdin by Adam Oehlenschläger. It is a symphony really, and whilst impressive in scope is hard to appreciate at a first hearing. Benjamin Grosvenor (piano), Rodolfus Choir, London Philharmonic Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Edward Gardner. Originally broadcast 5 August 2024.

Los Angeles composer Sarah Gibson sadly died last month from colon cancer at the tragically early age of 38. She had been commissioned to produce a new work for the Proms, but sadly that wasn't able to be presented. So instead we had her 2021 piece "warp and weft", which was originally commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Nice piece, apparently "a celebration of the creative process and specifically the Schapiro-coined term "femmage." Femmage, or feminist collage, defines any activity practiced by women using traditional women’s techniques to achieve their art – collage, decoupage, and weaving". Brahms and Beethoven bookend this enjoyable concert. Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major; Sarah Gibson (1986-2024): warp & weft; Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor. Tobias Feldmann (violin). BBC Philharmonic conducted by Anja Bihlmaier. First broadcast 8 August 2024.

All British programme with a collection of early 20th century pieces sort of themed around "London". The Holst piece "Hammersmith" is a rarity, and delightful. Edward Elgar: Overture ‘Cockaigne (In London Town)’; Gustav Holst: Hammersmith; Charles Villiers Stanford: Songs of Faith – ‘To the Soul’, ‘Tears’,‘ Joy, shipmate, joy!’ and ‘The Fairy Lough’; Ralph Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony. Christopher Maltman (baritone). BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins. First broadcast 13th August 2024.

Co-founded in 1999 by Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian-American academic Edward Said, the West–Eastern Divan Orchestra comprises a mix of young Arab and Israeli musicians, with ideals of listening, respect and mutual understanding. They presented the Brahms Violin Concerto from 1878, and Schubert's 9th Symphony, originally published as the Great C Major (to distinguish it from the Little C Major Symphony No 6), but now just known as "The Great". Probably mostly written in 1825, three years before Schubert's death in 1828, but not performed until 1839. Anne-Sophie Mutter was the soloist and presented an encore of Bach's Sarabande (from Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor). Barenboim conducted but was very frail. Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major; Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C major. Anne‐Sophie Mutter (violin). West–Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Originally broadcast 11 August 2024.

Pericles has always had a disputed authorship, although modern scholarship concludes it is, at least in part, by William Shakespeare, possibly the latter half of the text. Published in 1609 it was not included in the Bard's collection of works until the third folio. It concerns one Pericles, a Prince of Tyre. who travels extensively, usually suffering bad sea conditions on the way, to find and lose love several times, have a daughter, and then believe both her and her mother dead, until a final tearful reconciliation scene. Thanks to Victorian sensitivities, it was heavily amended in the 19th century because the play involves Pericles daughter, Marina, being imprisoned in a brothel. The RSC presented it in more or less a 17th century English idea of Greek dress, with a simple staging that worked well. Alfred Enoch did a great job in the lead role, supported by an ensemble company clearly enjoying themselves. Rarely performed, so I was glad to be able to catch it.

Gallery 1 seat A 22. Painful seat.

This was very pink - mostly pink staging, pink costumes, lots of pink props - also very hard pink, sort of bubblegum pink really. Having heard the Radio 3 effort recently I was well familiar with the story, and apart from a few "sensitivity changes" (the money lender Moses was no longer Jewish and had became "Morehouse", and the role of slavery in creating Sir Oliver's fortune was expunged), the RSC stuck to both plot and dialogue closely. It was really just a clever 18th century romp, and the cast were all obviously having a lot of fun with it. Conventional restoration costumes which were very elaborate - notably the dress worn by Charles Surface when he was being louche with his friends! The attempt to paint modern parallels with gossip, social media, scandal etc. really were not that effective, so I just viewed it as a good production of a noted Restoration comedy. The play ended with an epilogue from Maria reminding the audience that all the enjoyment and scheming we’ve seen is a distraction to our own lives and to make sure we live our own lives with enjoyment.

Matinee - Dress Circle B23

After Adam's foray into the Cambridgeshire fens, PD James waited nearly ten years before picking up her pen again and writing a new novel. This is a more complex and longer story, although the crime at the heart of it is actually quite simple. A Tory Government Minister, resigns his job and seat, and is then found dead with his throat cut in a vestry of a small North London church, alongside a tramp in a similar state. Many assume it is suicide, Dalgleish rapidly concludes it is not. The dysfunctional family arrangements of the man, Paul Berowne, together with the added complexity that Adam Dalgleish both knew and liked him make this story more involved and complex. In addition, Adam, now heads up a new Scotland Yard unit, dedicated to such high profile crimes, and the background stories and family arrangements of his officers, DCI John Massingham and DI Kate Miskin, also consume several chapters. This novel was far longer than it needed to be as PD James focuses so very much on the architectural and decor details of every building and room in which the action takes place, that you are often tempted to skip over lots of pages where nothing much happens. Interesting, but not the most enjoyable Detective story I have read recently.

I am seeing the new RSC production of the 27 year old Sheridan's 1777 comedy of manners later this month, so caught up with this BBC radio version from 2019. The market for gossip and scandal remains as popular as ever, and this production was introduced by one who makes his living from the same, namely the Editor of Private Eye, Ian Hislop. Complicated but simple story involving requited and unrequited love affairs, troubled marriages, rakish men, a scandal monger delightfully called Lady Sneerwell, and a walk on troupe of supporters including Backbite, Crabtree, Snake, and the two-faced Mrs Candour. I enjoyed it very much, and whilst restoration comedy on the radio is never an easy listen, I was able to more or less follow the story and the cast of characters moving in and out of houses and hiding behind screens and in closets, without getting too lost. I will be interested to see what the RSC make of it! Star studded cast included Hugh Bonneville, Joanna Lumley, Roger Allam, Mark Gatiss, Lisa Dillon, Susannah Fielding, Martin Jarvis, Nigel Anthony, Joe Bannister, George Blagden, Amy Morgan, Ifan Meredith, Jon Glover, Kieran Hodgson, Simon de Deney, Richard Sisson and Daisy Hydon. Directed by Rosalind Ayres and Martin Jarvis. First broadcast June 2019.

Fourth volume by conductor John Wilson and the BBC Philharmonic devoted to the glorious music of British light music composer Eric Coates (1886-1957). Includes well known classics such as the 1948 Music Everywhere "Rediffusion March", (a signature tune commission from the Associated Rediffusion company) and lesser known pieces such as the 1925 Three Bears (Phantasy), supposedly a commission from Coates son, Austin, setting his favourite bedtime story to music. CD released July 2024.

The Girl Choristers of the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick directed by Oliver Hancock. Organists Mark Swinton and Coilin Millington. A collection of scared music for treble voices from the 17th century to the present day. Released June 2024.