(Its superb arrangement, in smallish rooms that often juxtapose works by two or three artists with some particular affinity, helps avert viewer fatigue).
But in the move-by-move phraseology of its dances, the subtle complexity of its characterizations and the astonishingly judicious musicality with which it matches its score (John Lanchbery's superb arrangement of three pieces for piano and orchestra by Chopin), it remains an extraordinary and compelling achievement.
The venue was a hit, too – a circus Big Top, replacing the sonically challenged Town Hall – and Barker's superb arrangements for the 48-piece band created a jazzier, funkier and poppier sound that made the upbeat repertoire really swing and swoosh, aided by a sassy female backing trio.
In The Tip Sheet, Jonathan King labelled it a "glorious, splendid album," celebrating Meat Loaf's "operatically gorgeous" voice and Steinman's "superb" songs, arrangements and production.
But Mr. Carpenter announced from the stage that he would be interpolating a performance of his superb, gloriously strange arrangement of "The Alcotts," the third movement of Ives's "Concord" Sonata.
In his review, Alex MacPherson of Stylus Magazine chose the song as one of the album's best and wrote, It [Destiny Fulfilled] shoots its load quickly, although just as effectively: "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier" are stunning, both displaying the Beyoncé trademark of creepily submissive lyrics matched with dominatrix vocals and arrangements to superb effect.
Similarly, Alex MacPherson of Stylus Magazine wrote in his review that "[The album] shoots its load quickly, although just as effectively: 'Lose My Breath' and 'Soldier' are stunning, both displaying the Beyoncé trademark of creepily submissive lyrics matched with dominatrix vocals and arrangements to superb effect".
This weekend is devoted to Mozart: the Piano Quartet in G minor (K. 478), the Oboe Quartet (K. 370) and Mozart's arrangement of the superb "Gran Partita" (K. 361) for piano, oboe and strings.
Andrea Bocelli/Mary J. Blige/David Foster: great arrangement by Foster, superb vocals by Bocelli and Blige and nice sentiment for Haiti.
They stay to join in breeding groups in which a group of related males keeps house, or nest, with a group of related females, an arrangement that would make for superb reality television if humans tried it.
London Coliseum, WC2, Wed to 23 Jul Michael Keegan-Dolan gives a passionate collective voice to the superb National Youth Dance Company in his setting of Max Richter's arrangement of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
