We left at the interval...

Allhelgonakyrkan, Stockholm, Saturday 12 November 2016 Bengt Forsberg: piano. Ann Hallenberg: mezzo-soprano. Mina Fred: viola. Bengt Forsberg, Mina Fred: Improvisation for viola and piano. Max Reger: Suite Number Two in G minor for solo viola, op 131d: Andante Sten Broman: Fantasy, Fugue and Chorale for viola and piano Clara Schumann: four songs Johannes Brahms: two songs for alto, viola and piano, op.91 Robert Fuchs: viola sonata Encore - Johannes Brahms: Wiegenlied .  An interesting, eclectic programme for this rather sparsely-attended chamber concert in the wooden Allhelgonakyrkan church in Stockholm, where record snowfalls for the time of year made getting around quite tricky and probably kept some regulars away. The evening opened surprisingly with a totally contemporary – intrinsically, since it was done on-the-spot – improvisation by the excellent Bengt Forsberg, well known to many as Anne-Sophie Von Otter’s usual accompanist, and Mina Fred on the viola, ...

Kungliga Operan (Royal Swedish Opera), Stockholm, Friday November 11 2016 Conductor: Lawrence Renes. Production: Sofia Jupither. Sets: Lars-Åke Thessman. Costumes: Maria Geber. Lighting: Linus Fellbom. Herod: Michael Weinius. Herodias: Katarina Dalayman. Salome: Erika Sunnegårdh. Jochanaan: Josef Wagner. Narraboth: Jonas Degerfeldt. Herodias’s Page: Karin Osbeck. First Jew: Klas Hedlund. Second Jew: Anders Blom. Third Jew: Pierre Gylbert. Fourth Jew: Nils Hübinette. Fifth Jew: Erik Rosenius. First Nazarene: Joris Grouwels. Second Nazarene: Martin Hedström. First Soldier: Mattias Milder. Second Soldier: Lennart Forsén. Cappadocian: Ian Power. Slave: Anna Danielsson. Kungliga Hovkapellet (Royal Swedish Orchestra). Strauss A good night out in Stockholm with this very sound Salome  and an excellent dinner in the same building after, which is more than you can hope for in Paris. Sweden’s Royal Opera, as well as having a good orchestra, as you might expect, fielded a very stro...