London-based photographer Clive Barda OBE continues to work with the world’s greatest artists and over five decades has built up an unrivalled record of past and current performers:
This site contains a small selection of Clive’s current work and a fraction of his impressive archive.
Martha Argerich and Stephen Kovacevich at the Wigmore Hall, November 2015
Gustavo Dudamel, 2014
Gerald Finley as William Tell with members of the Royal Opera Chorus, 2015
Maria (Mariangela Sicilia) & Guglielmo (Angelo Villari) embrace in Guglielmo Ratcliff at Wexford Opera Festival 2015
Georg Friedrich Haas’s new opera Morgen und Abend in the final performance of its premiere run at Covent Garden, 2015
Clive licenses his photographs through ArenaPAL
Last Wednesday April 6 I attended an amazing concert at Wigmore Hall by Sir András Schiff in which he played three of the last sonatas by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert. What made the event especially memorable was the fact that he played the entire programme from memory and without once leaving the stage. The tension was palpable, incredible concentration from the audience. And yet, when I spoke to him after the performance he was completely relaxed and smiling. A truly great artist.
NORMA by Bellini; English National Opera; MARJORIE OWENS as Norma; PETER AUTY as Pollione;
This moment of intense drama near the end of the opera seems to sum up the inevitable tragedy about to befall Norma and her faithless lover Pollione.
Rehearsal for Petrushka with LSO at the Barbican in February 2000
Very sad to hear of the death of Pierre Boulez.
I first photographed him in 1973 and on many occasions since, most recently in 2000 at the Barbican where he was rehearsing Petrushka with the LSO.
Despite his usually rigorous manner when conducting I always found him most warm and friendly to meet and work with.
This is definitely one of my favourite photos of 2015.
It’s a scene from The Cunning Little Vixen.
British Youth Opera at its best!
This is very much a Joyce DiDonato week! I attended a wonderful concert she gave with the Brentano Quartet and Jake Heggie at the new Milton Court Concert Hall on Tuesday followed by a masterclass the next day with singers from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She will also be singing tonight at the Barbican with the New York Philharmonic.
Joyce was on her usual scintillating form on both occasions. Apologising for a sprained ankle and slightly limping, she recalled her run of Barber of Seville performances at the Royal Opera House seven years ago when she broke her leg at the first performance and had to to perform the rest of the run whizzing about in a wheelchair she remarked ruefully that perhaps she should think of a new gimmick!
Talking of the Royal Opera House reminds me of her stunning performance in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago. This photo is one of my favourites of her in action. It’s hard to believe that in the midst of such virtuosic singing she can maintain such a radiant look.