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New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,
Barry Millington's rating
Reader rating
Description: Music by Rossini, Mendelssohn and Dvorak, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and featuring young Dutch violinist Janine Jansen.
Phone: 0871663 2500
Website: www.southbankcetre.co.uk
Extra info: Telephones, Air Conditioning, Food, Pub
Acclaimed: the 25-year-old Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel is being hailed as a superstar in the making
There was a buzz of anticipation in a packed Queen Elizabeth Hall for the Philharmonia concert conducted by the 25-year-old Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel.
He has been hailed as a superstar in the making and has earned rapturous acclaim for recent appearances.
Much was impressive in this programme, beginning with a magical evocation of sunrise in Nielsen's Helios Overture.
In Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No3, Dudamel set some brisk tempi for Boris Berezovsky, none of which fazed the Russian virtuoso, who tosses off Rachmaninov's fearsome figuration as though it's a five-finger exercise.
His sound is big and beefy, sometimes oppressively so, though he's also capable of the most delicate filigree. More of a problem, however, is the prosaic nature of his phrasing which elicits little of the poetry concealed within that daunting passage-work.
Dudamel brought far more life and colour to his phrasing, and the Philharmonia played beautifully for him.
His reading emphasised the feverish, volatile aspects of the score, and the rousing ending played shamelessly to the gallery.
So, too, in a sense did Dudamel's account of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony, which teemed with lively detail, whipping up another storm for the coda of the first movement.
It was all a little excitable: pulsating with energy but lacking the grand epic vision of the legendary Sibelians.
• To be broadcast on Radio 3 on 2 March.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
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