Albert Ehrnrooth

Journalist, photographer and social commentator.

WORLD-BEATING DANISH COLLECTION OF FRENCH ART

Gauguin and the Impressionists, seen at the Royal Academy of Arts, London (until 18 October 2020) Pictures from the Danish ‘Golden Age’ of art (first half of the 19th century) and Vilhelm Hammershøi’s understated, almost stark interiors have this century […]

GOLDEN AGE INFLUENCER NICOLAES MAES AT THE NG

London’s National Gallery and The Hague’s Mauritshuis museum have put together the first exhibition in the UK devoted to Nicolaes Maes,  a Dutch Golden Age painter who deserves to be more well-known. Even in the Netherlands Nicolaes Maes (1634–1693) is […]

Hans and Julia Rausing gallery

NATIONAL GALLERY REOPENS AND REINVENTS ITSELF

Do you think you know London’s National Gallery? Think again. The museum has reopened, now that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is deemed to have passed. But all visitors are still expected to wear a face mask. You will […]

N'Wana and Sotho dolls from South Africa and Lesotho. These circa 20 cm high objects were made by young women to enhance fertility. Once the child was born they became dolls or the beads were used as an accessory by the mother. Photo: Albert Ehrnrooth

ART CONQUERS ALL, THE SHOW MUST GO ON

This is my second report from TEFAF Maastricht, the world’s foremost art fair for antiques and design. In my previous blog I mentioned a number of blockbusters, both quality- and price-wise. In this article I am concentrating on some personal […]

The flower arrangements at TEFAF are never less than spectacular. De Quénetain's gallery's decor is pretty impressive as well.

TEFAF BATTLES COVID-19 VALIANTLY, AND WINS

Back home after two riveting days at the TEFAF antiques & fine arts fair in Maastricht and my head is still buzzing. No, it’s not the coronavirus that’s affecting me. When I am trying to process thousands of exquisite objects […]

HAITINK HAS HUNG UP HIS BATON AND BOOTS

BBC Proms 3 September 2019 Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4, Bruckner Symphony No.7       Vienna Philharmonic, soloist: Emanuel Ax, conductor: Bernard Haitink Last year it was announced that Bernard Haitink was going to take a sabbatical. A sabbatical at 90? It turned […]

WAS SIBELIUS A FOLKIE?

BBC Prom 20, August 3 2019 Violin Concerto and Symphony 5. J. Sibelius, violinist: Pekka Kuusisto, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard Where did Sibelius find the wonderful, hummable themes and melodies for his violin concerto and his fifth symphony?  […]

A FINER SELF-PORTRAITIST IS HARD TO FIND

Helene Schjerfbeck at the Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries, Royal academy , London. On until 27 october 2019 How many Finns with an artistic bent can you mention? I don’t blame you if you can just think of two and  at a […]

THE SIXTEEN MAKE BELSHAZZAR A FEAST

Belshazzar by Georg Friedrich Händel seen at The Grange Festival, Northington, UK, July 4,  2019 Bizarrely this is the first professional production of Händel’s oratorio Belshazzar (1744) in the UK. It is true that oratorios  originally weren’t intended to be […]

102 years in the making: the debut of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the BBC Proms, photo:Chris Christodoulou

BERNSTEIN IN ALL HIS GLORY (SLAVA)

Prom 60, Royal Albert Hall, 27 August 2018 Does Leonard Bernstein 28 years after his death really need an advocate? In this country  we are particularly keen on celebrating or commemorating the births and deaths of composers. In March it […]

Sir Mark Elder conducting the Hallé

HALLÉ AT THE PROMS: WAGNER, DEBUSSY AND STRAVINSKY

The Hallé is one of  Britain’s oldest orchestras and it is no surprise that they have championed many compositions at an early stage, before they became true classics. The orchestra’s founder, Charles Hallé, put Wagner’s Tannhäuser overture on the repertoire […]

The Marktkirche in Halle and the Händel statue seen from behind( lower left). Photo: Albert Ehrnrooth

SAMSON AT HÄNDEL FESTSPIELE HALLE

Sunday 27 may 2018, Handel Festival Halle The late-Gothic Ulrichskirche in Halle (Saale) has been a concert hall since the 1970s and the massive concert organ is now a bit of a feature. It is not old, but if you […]