Many orchestras and larger ensembles have adopted a model of a matinee followed by an evening performance in an attempt to reach larger numbers of people amid limits on audience sizes. This was how the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Simon Rattle marked their return to London’s Barbican Centre on Tuesday, repeating their programme of Britten, Fauré and Dvorak for two sets of spectators.
Music lovers returning to the concert hall for the first time since early 2020 will also notice that social distancing measures mean the majority of events do not include an interval. This is also the case for longer performances, such as Opera North’s run of Beethoven’s