Opera
Tosca (English National Opera)“
The chief source of power is in the pit. Howard Williams’ intelligent direction allowed Puccini full throttle, letting each melody breathe long and full, each climax build steadily through carefully graduated stages to a superbly controlled dramatic peak. On the way he coaxed from the ENO some playing which ranks on the level of their best.”
THE TIMES
Punch and Judy (Opera Factory London)
“Under Howard Williams the Endymion Ensemble delivers a performance of unfailing exactitude and eloquence.”
THE OBSERVER
“Masterly, unflappable Howard Williams”
FINANCIAL TIMES
Oberon (Chelsea Opera Group)
“Howard Williams’s direction, as precise as it was exuberant, yet keenly alive to the poetic side of the work.”
THE TIMES
Die Zauberflöte (English National Opera)
“... above all, Howard Williams’ spacious, sensitive conducting made this a memorable revival.”
THE GUARDIAN
Il viaggio a Reims (Guildhall School of Music & Drama)
“Under Howard Williams the orchestra revel in the virtuosity that was lavished no less on the instrumental than on the vocal writing; the music breathes, and sounds wonderfully graceful.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
“... conducted by Howard Williams with an infectious Rossinian grace and flare.”
DAILY TELEGRAPH
La pietra del paragone (Guildhall School of Music & Drama)
“The many effervescent ensembles were expertly controlled by Howard Williams, who instilled Rossinian flair into pit and stage. This perfectly executed revival demands to be seen by all serious Rossinians”
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Le siège de Corinthe (Chelsea Opera Group)
“... the first of Rossini’s operas with a French libretto, and a piece of spaciousness and rousing momentum that was powerfully delivered under Howard Williams.”
THE TIMES
“... the skill of the conductor, Howard Williams, so great in reconciling formal grandeur and dramatic dynamism.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
“Howard Williams was an admirable conductor – detailed but not finical, stirring but never strident.”
THE OBSERVER
“The work still packs a mighty punch ... under the enthusiastic direction of Howard Williams. Orchestral playing and choral singing of considerable panache brought a sweeping impetus to Rossini’s climactic set-pieces.”
THE TIMES
The knot garden (Opera Factory London)
“With Howard Williams’ energetic and inspirational conducting of the London Sinfonietta, this piece has a glorious resurrection.”
THE GUARDIAN
“The result, with the London Sinfonietta under Howard Williams playing outstandingly well, has just the sharpness, the absence of glamour added immediacy of impact, of the recording.”
THE TIMES
“... eloquent and accomplished conducting by Howard Williams.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
“... it is directed with all Howard Williams’s acumen for a challenging score.”
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk (Chelsea Opera Group)
“Howard Williams conducted with searing conviction.”
MUSIC & MUSICIANS
L’Orfeo (English Bach Festival, Covent Garden)
“The English Bach Festival Orchestra and His Majesty’s Sackbutts and Cornetts, conducted by Howard Williams, were superb.”
EARLY MUSIC NEWS
“The music was entrusted to period-specialist singers and period-instrument players of high calibre. The roll-call of the latter matched Monteverdi’s specified crew closely; divided between the front corners of the stage, their virtuosity and their vividly various timbres conquered the Royal Opera acoustic brilliantly.
Against Howard Williams’s vital account of the score, the solo singers and well-tuned chorus stood out superbly, searching out the expressive force of Monteverdi’s lines.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
Madama Butterfly (English National Opera)
“Howard Williams gave a powerful and passionate reading of the score.”
OPERA
Julietta (Guildhall School of Music & Drama)
“The whole affair was extraordinarily impressive, polished, gripping and benefitting from Howard Williams as conductor.”
EVENING STANDARD
“Much of the success of the evening was due to the conducting of Howard Williams. He projected the poetry and ecstasy of what is probably Martinu’s most telling and completely inspired score.”
DAILY TELEGRAPH
“Martinu’s score stage-manages the audience’s own vicarious journey from the rapid, nervously fragmented ostinato of anxiety in the first act to the Janácek-like psychological vortex of the third. Howard Williams, conducting, had the full measure of it.”
THE TIMES
“Howard Williams conducted, earning a large share of praise for this lucid account of Martinu’s fascinating score.”
OPERA
Peter Grimes (Opéra de Nantes)
“Violent and controlled with precision, this spectacle responds to the very intense symphonic tissue which rises from the pit. The Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de la Loire, powerful and transparent, does not weaken for a single moment and Howard Williams creates an almost unbearable dramatic feeling from the famous Sea Interludes.”
The fairy queen (English Bach Festival, Covent Garden)
“Howard Williams’s spryly rhythmical, smoothly-flowing conducting of the EBF Baroque Orchestra gave ideal support.”
THE TIMES
Lakmé (Chelsea Opera Group)
“The performance is conducted beautifully by Howard Williams, and there is some wonderfully suave playing from the orchestra.”
THE GUARDIAN
Leonore (Chelsea Opera Group)
“Everyone contributed to this remarkable evening, not least the orchestra under Howard Williams, and the chorus which made its presence felt in the prisoners' hymn to the sunlight.”
MUSICAL POINTERS
“Howard Williams brought great commitment to the performance.”
OPERA
Riders to the sea … (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama)
“The conductor Howard Williams was always probing psychological and emotional depths, and the effect was of music gradually insinuating itself into the consciousness…”
Dido and Aeneas
“Howard Williams, directing this opera from the harpsichord, realized the stylistic change with typical flair, drawing nicely focused performances from his singers.”
OPERA
The chief source of power is in the pit. Howard Williams’ intelligent direction allowed Puccini full throttle, letting each melody breathe long and full, each climax build steadily through carefully graduated stages to a superbly controlled dramatic peak. On the way he coaxed from the ENO some playing which ranks on the level of their best.”
THE TIMES
Punch and Judy (Opera Factory London)
“Under Howard Williams the Endymion Ensemble delivers a performance of unfailing exactitude and eloquence.”
THE OBSERVER
“Masterly, unflappable Howard Williams”
FINANCIAL TIMES
Oberon (Chelsea Opera Group)
“Howard Williams’s direction, as precise as it was exuberant, yet keenly alive to the poetic side of the work.”
THE TIMES
Die Zauberflöte (English National Opera)
“... above all, Howard Williams’ spacious, sensitive conducting made this a memorable revival.”
THE GUARDIAN
Il viaggio a Reims (Guildhall School of Music & Drama)
“Under Howard Williams the orchestra revel in the virtuosity that was lavished no less on the instrumental than on the vocal writing; the music breathes, and sounds wonderfully graceful.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
“... conducted by Howard Williams with an infectious Rossinian grace and flare.”
DAILY TELEGRAPH
La pietra del paragone (Guildhall School of Music & Drama)
“The many effervescent ensembles were expertly controlled by Howard Williams, who instilled Rossinian flair into pit and stage. This perfectly executed revival demands to be seen by all serious Rossinians”
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Le siège de Corinthe (Chelsea Opera Group)
“... the first of Rossini’s operas with a French libretto, and a piece of spaciousness and rousing momentum that was powerfully delivered under Howard Williams.”
THE TIMES
“... the skill of the conductor, Howard Williams, so great in reconciling formal grandeur and dramatic dynamism.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
“Howard Williams was an admirable conductor – detailed but not finical, stirring but never strident.”
THE OBSERVER
“The work still packs a mighty punch ... under the enthusiastic direction of Howard Williams. Orchestral playing and choral singing of considerable panache brought a sweeping impetus to Rossini’s climactic set-pieces.”
THE TIMES
The knot garden (Opera Factory London)
“With Howard Williams’ energetic and inspirational conducting of the London Sinfonietta, this piece has a glorious resurrection.”
THE GUARDIAN
“The result, with the London Sinfonietta under Howard Williams playing outstandingly well, has just the sharpness, the absence of glamour added immediacy of impact, of the recording.”
THE TIMES
“... eloquent and accomplished conducting by Howard Williams.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
“... it is directed with all Howard Williams’s acumen for a challenging score.”
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk (Chelsea Opera Group)
“Howard Williams conducted with searing conviction.”
MUSIC & MUSICIANS
L’Orfeo (English Bach Festival, Covent Garden)
“The English Bach Festival Orchestra and His Majesty’s Sackbutts and Cornetts, conducted by Howard Williams, were superb.”
EARLY MUSIC NEWS
“The music was entrusted to period-specialist singers and period-instrument players of high calibre. The roll-call of the latter matched Monteverdi’s specified crew closely; divided between the front corners of the stage, their virtuosity and their vividly various timbres conquered the Royal Opera acoustic brilliantly.
Against Howard Williams’s vital account of the score, the solo singers and well-tuned chorus stood out superbly, searching out the expressive force of Monteverdi’s lines.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
Madama Butterfly (English National Opera)
“Howard Williams gave a powerful and passionate reading of the score.”
OPERA
Julietta (Guildhall School of Music & Drama)
“The whole affair was extraordinarily impressive, polished, gripping and benefitting from Howard Williams as conductor.”
EVENING STANDARD
“Much of the success of the evening was due to the conducting of Howard Williams. He projected the poetry and ecstasy of what is probably Martinu’s most telling and completely inspired score.”
DAILY TELEGRAPH
“Martinu’s score stage-manages the audience’s own vicarious journey from the rapid, nervously fragmented ostinato of anxiety in the first act to the Janácek-like psychological vortex of the third. Howard Williams, conducting, had the full measure of it.”
THE TIMES
“Howard Williams conducted, earning a large share of praise for this lucid account of Martinu’s fascinating score.”
OPERA
Peter Grimes (Opéra de Nantes)
“Violent and controlled with precision, this spectacle responds to the very intense symphonic tissue which rises from the pit. The Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de la Loire, powerful and transparent, does not weaken for a single moment and Howard Williams creates an almost unbearable dramatic feeling from the famous Sea Interludes.”
The fairy queen (English Bach Festival, Covent Garden)
“Howard Williams’s spryly rhythmical, smoothly-flowing conducting of the EBF Baroque Orchestra gave ideal support.”
THE TIMES
Lakmé (Chelsea Opera Group)
“The performance is conducted beautifully by Howard Williams, and there is some wonderfully suave playing from the orchestra.”
THE GUARDIAN
Leonore (Chelsea Opera Group)
“Everyone contributed to this remarkable evening, not least the orchestra under Howard Williams, and the chorus which made its presence felt in the prisoners' hymn to the sunlight.”
MUSICAL POINTERS
“Howard Williams brought great commitment to the performance.”
OPERA
Riders to the sea … (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama)
“The conductor Howard Williams was always probing psychological and emotional depths, and the effect was of music gradually insinuating itself into the consciousness…”
Dido and Aeneas
“Howard Williams, directing this opera from the harpsichord, realized the stylistic change with typical flair, drawing nicely focused performances from his singers.”
OPERA
