William O. Bateman News
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2024-03-29
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2022-05-26 04:49:00
New Releases, No. 31 (CD reviews)
[…] Just put on this CD and chill out…) The album cover folds out to reveal thumbnail photos along with brief paragraphs about each of the 15 composers, a nice touch. As you might expect, the harp seems bigger than life, but is very well captured by the engineers. All involved in this release are to be commended for bringing such fresh and vital new music into our world. Brava and bravo!Daniel Hope: America. Gershwin (arr. Paul Bateman for violin, jazz trio, and string orchestra): Gershwin Song Suite; Sam Cooke (arr. Bateman for voice, violin, and piano): A Change Is Gonna Come; Bernstein (arr. Bateman for voice and string orchestra): West Side Story Suite; Florence Price: Adoration (arr. Bateman for violin and string orchestra); Copland (arr. Bateman for violin and string orchestra): At the River; Hoe-Down; Ellington (arr. Bateman for violin and string orchestra): Come Sunday; Weill (arr. Bateman): American Song Suite; Ward […]
2021-11-02 18:05:11
[…] his singing falls way short of what would be expected by ENO under any other circumstances, and he will certainly have to work hard on pacing his voice in order to see out the run, he throws himself completely into the role and overall proves an asset, rather than a liability, to the production. This staging also introduces the role of a Midshipmite. It is shared across the run by nine-year old Rufus Bateman and thirteen-year old Johnny Jackson, with Jackson (at the performance I attended) proving immensely talented as he provides a lot of quality entertainment. In particular, he leads an extended tap dancing routine, choreographed by Lizzi Gee, at the start of Act II. This involves some trained dancers and extremely able principals, who are finally joined by the entire male chorus, and works a treat. Because it is a complete addition to the operetta, it […]
2021-10-31 12:13:50
[…] The Victorian setting is maintained, though Gilbert’s dialogue is elaborated to take in references to, among other things, levelling up and cronyism, and also to permit louche innuendos about “bulwarks,” “frigates,” “big topmen” and the like. McCrystal’s fondness for visual comedy allows him to add into the mix both a tottery old lady (Flick Fernando) among Dennis’s retinue – an ageist joke that at times misfires – and an anarchic midshipman, brilliantly played by Rufus Bateman, who is scene-stealing throughout. The ship’s crew go in for tap dancing, nicely choreographed by Lizzi Gee, and there’s a hilarious gag in the middle of For He Is an Englishman, which gloriously punctures its grandiosity. The downside, however, is that in camping up something that already teeters on camp, McCrystal can go over the top: scenes such as Josephine’s (Alexandra Oomens) quiet musings on her love for Elgan Llŷr Thomas’s Ralph, for instance, […]
2021-10-31 08:47:25
Hi-jinks on the high-seas: Cal McCrystal's production of Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore at English National Opera
[…] rate. So much so, that you felt he never quite trusted either Gilbert's text or Sullivan's music. Gilbert & Sullivan: HMS Pinafore - ENO Chorus with Spencer Darlaston-Jones mid-air - English National Opera (Photo Marc Brenner) There were running gags - Flick Ferdinando as an elderly aunt constantly appearing at the wrong moment; a mini-me sidekick for John Savournin's Captain Corcoran in the form of Midshipmite Tom Tucker played by juvenile actor Rufus Bateman (all of nine years old) in scene-stealing form. There was over-egging the visuals including all sorts of flying interruptions during the music, from birds to Boris Johnson, there was a wide variety of extra jokes, often pushing the humour in the direction of rudery foreign to Gilbert's oeuvre, plus an amazing acrobatic sailor (Spencer Darlaston-Jones as the athletic Sergeant of Marines), scantily clad sailors and tap number opening Act Two, with John Savournin, Rufus […]
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- timeline: Composers (North America).
- Indexes (by alphabetical order): B...