Standing ovations in Bucharest and Sibiu

The George Enescu Music Festival was a great triumph for the cast of ‘Claude Debussy - A Passionate Life’ which included legendary British actor Robert Powell, actress Rohan McCullough, pianist Nathan Tinker, and flutist Clive Conway. 

Robert Powell vividly brought to life, through the composer’s own words, the fascinating character of one of the most extraordinary superstars in musical history. “Charismatic, fascinating, outrageously unconventional, possessed of great charm and wit, he was a true Bohemian, equally at home in the lowlife nightclubs of Montmartre as in the aristocratic salons of Parisian Society.”

Rohan McCullough had joined Robert Powell in presenting the unfortunate women who were bewitched by this strange and complex man. Shootings, attempted suicide, adultery, public scandal – all featured in the passionate life of Debussy! 

Robert and Rohan’s performances were intensified by the musical performances by Nathan and Clive; the group’s performances in Bucharest as well as Sibiu were adored by the crowds where they received standing ovations. 

Robert Powell also narrated in the world live premiere of ‘The Flood’ by Stravinsky, with the German orchestra, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, which was conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. Written in 1962, although it had been broadcast for radio and recorded disk on a number of occasions, it was performed for the first time to a live audience. 

The London Symphony Orchestra performed alongside the Radio Romania Academic Choir, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, joining him was Ciprian Tutu as conductor of the choir. They performed works by Enescu ‘Isis’ and ‘Romanian Rhapsody in A major op.11 No.1’ as well as Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements and in C.