Recent News
PERFORMANCES DURING LOCKDOWN With opera houses and theatres closed across the board, Claire launched Grange Park Opera’s “Found Season” with a streamed performance of Poulenc’s dramatic monologue La Voix Humaine, a role which she has made somewhat her own since her critically acclaimed performance for Welsh National Opera in 2016. Gaining 5 ⭐️ in the Daily Telegraph, Rupert Christiansen writes of Claire as “that most questing, resourceful and intelligent of sopranos (who’s) interpretation is heartfelt without histrionics… capturing all the twists and turns of the music’s jagged lyricism”. Claire returned to Grange Park to perform the role of Elena in the World Premiere of Alex Woolf’s A Feast in the Time of Plague – joining a stellar cast which included Susan Bullock and Simon Keenleyside.
ON THE STAGE 5 ⭐️ in the Guardian for Claire’s powerhouse rendition of Schonberg’s Pierrot Lunaire with Manchester’ Psappha Ensemble. Streamed again during lockdown, Claire’s performance launched Psappha’s online You Tube Premiere Season, and is still available to view. In January 2021 Claire joins the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for a live streamed concert of Stravinsky’s Pulchinella.
OPERATIC SUCCESS Critical acclaim for Claire’s portrayal of Handel’s forgotten heroine Berenice at London’s Royal Opera House. Performed for the first time in the UK since it’s premiere in 1775, Laurence Cummings conducted this all-but-forgotten masterpiece which saw Claire, as Queen of Egypt, navigating her way through a man’s world of love, lust and intrigue. The success of this sell-out run surely makes it ripe for another revival soon. Claire also undertook the role of Nitocris in Handel’s Belshazzar, performed in collaboration with the eponymous Sixteen for the Grange Festival. It went pretty well: “A barn-storming performance by an actor-singer who can raise the dramatic heat as soon as she enters the stage” Opera Now Magazine 2019
TWO WORLD PREMIERES AND A RECORDING
Claire will return to the Aldeburgh Festival early next year to give the delayed world premiere of Colin Matthews’ Seascapes with the Nash Ensemble and Martyn Brabbins. She also returns to London’s Wigmore Hall with the Nash in April 2021 to give the World Premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s Owl Songs.
Meanwhile Claire has been busy preparing her latest recording, a musical journey through the vocal and piano music of Modest Mussorgsky. This latest collaboration follows on from the successes of Lyric Music (Grieg) and Folk Music (Grainger) both with Pianist Christopher Glynn, and sees the pair delving into previously unrecorded works as well as fresh takes on this composer’s much neglected song compositions. Unorthodox Music is due for release Spring 2021.
Claire Booth’s most recent release: Edvard Grieg: Lyric Music.
Soprano Claire Booth and pianist Christopher Glynn trace an arc through Edvard Grieg’s Lyric Music, interspersing vocal miniatures with solo piano pieces that range in mood from bright, youthful innocence to shades of autumnal twilight.
“Booth and Glynn are certainly on fire here… Booth goes all out to capture the yearnings and frustrations of (Haugtussa) with a truly contemporary lack of inhibition…. This new recital, strongly recommended, contributes greatly to the catalogues..” Gramophone Autumn 2019 Click here for more information and to buy.
Edvard Grieg: Med En Vandlilje (With A Waterlily) Ibsensangene Op.25
Claire Booth / Christopher Glynn / Avie Records
