February Art s Diary

A monthly selection of forthcoming events recommended by Tice Spectator's regular critics

OPERA

Der Rosenkavalier, London Coliseum, (071 836 3161) from 2 February. A wonderful, young conductor, Yakov Kreizberg, will lead this new ENO production (directed by Jonathan Miller) of Richard Strauss' popular rococo confection. A strong casting for an opera that needs it.

Chdrubin, Royal Opera House, (071 240 1066) from 14 February . Susan Graham takes the title role in Massenet's version of what happened to Beaumarchais and Mozart's randy page-boy after Le Nozze di Figaro. Tim Albery is the surprising choice of director for this light and pretty piece; Gennady Rozhdestvensky conducts.

The Turn of the Screw, The Tramway, Glasgow (041 332 9000), from 15 February. One of Britten's tautest scores is presented by Scottish Opera in a new production by David Leveaux (best known for his work with Harold Pinter). Anne Williams-King sings the neurasthenic Governess.

Rupert Christiansen

EXHIBITIONS

The Edge of All the Land: Richard Eurich 1903-1992, Southampton City Art Gallery. 90 works spanning 75 years represent important and poetic painter.

Ndebele Beadwork, South Africa House,Trafalgar Square, WC2, till 11 February. Decorated objects often utilitatrian, celebrate unique culture of the Ndebele.

Roger Wagner Paintings 1982-1994, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Strange paintings by 36-year-old artist echo famous visionary traditions set by Bunyan and Blake.

Emma Sargeant: Orpheus and the Underworld, Agnews. 43 Old Bond Street, WI, till 18th. Another

talented young artist looks back happily without fatal consequences. Giles Auty

POP MUSIC

Eric Clapton, Royal Albert Hall, 20-22 , 24-26, 28 February, 1, 2, 4-6 March. In a feeble month for live work, it's impossible not to recommend Old Floppy Coat's latest Albert Hall residency with its attendant blues nights, symphonic experiments and, for all I know, a new 35-minute version of Layla for spoons and orchestra. Will he ever get round to recording something new?

Also sceduled: The Cocteau Twins, (touring 5-18 February) never the same since we could hear the words; The Mission (touring 12-18 February) still plugging away; and even more tragically, the Fish-free Marillion (touring 24 February- 5 March). Roll on 6 March.

Marcus Berkmann

DANCE

Ira( Mukhamedov and Company, Sadler's Wells (071 278 8916) 9-12 February. Royal Ballet star joins forces with Kim Brandstrup's Arc Dance Company to create the title role in Brandstrup's new production of Othello.

Dance Bites, Haymarket Theatre, Leicester (0533 539797), 7-8 February,Com Exchange, Cambridge, (0233 357851), 10-12 February, and Grand Theatre, Blackpool (0253 28372), 14-15 February. The Royal Ballet's newly assembled touring company in a programme of recently created works: William Forsythe's Herman Schmerman, Ashley Page's Renard and Ashton's contemporary classic, Monotones 11 completes the bill.

Sophie Constanti

CRAFTS

Letters of the Alphabet: a contemporary interpretation. The Gallery in Cork Street, 28 Cork Street, Wl, till 12 February. 35 letter cutters contribute to a second lettering exhibition staged by this imaginative gallery.

'6; David Kindersley's Workshop, cut by Quentin Starling Ewen Henderson: Sacred Places, The Economist Plaza, 25 St James Street, SW1, till 18 February. Henderson's megalith ceramic sculptures should have a permanent home. They look very handsome in this site.

The Golden Age 1730-1760: Brass inlaid furniture by John Channon and his contemporaries. Victoria and Albert Museum, 16 February- 24 April. English rococo furniture examined in depth.

Tanya Harrod

GARDENS

Every Monday evening in February and March, there will be a National Trust-sponsored, illustrated lecture at the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, London SE1, in a series entitled, Glorious Gardens. First to kick off, on 7 February, is Sir Roy Strong talking about Shakespeare Gardens. The lectures are from 6

until 7.15 p.m.; tickets can be ordered, price £5 and £5.50, from the Royal Festival Hall Box Office (071 928 8800) Ursula Buchan

MUSIC

Schumann and Friends, devised and conducted by Raymond Leppard, will take place at the Barbican Centre, 1-8 February. The series will feature the English Chamber Orchestra and Include all of Schumann's symphonies alongside music by Weber, Schubert and Mendelssohn.

A Festival of Mediaeval Music, a rare thing in the concert calendar, will be held in Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge, between 24 and 26 February. Groups taking part include the Ensemble Organum, the Hilliard Ensemble, Gothic Voices and Sequentia.

The celebrations of the 40th birthday of the Allegri String Quartet will be held in the QEH on the 13th. The music will consist of the op. 131 quartet by Beethoven, Wolf's Italian Serenade and Dvorak's 'American' Quartet. Forty years in the competitive world of quartet playing deserves a party.

Peter Phillips

CINEMA

Wayne's World 2 (PG). A stinging rejoinder to those snide cracks about the Canadian sense of humour: Mike Myers with another sequel of planted catchphrases.

Free Willy (U). With a splendid sense of cultural imperialism, Warner Bros can't even be bothered changing the title for the United Kingdom. It's actually about a whale, sprung from captivity by an ecologically-minded politically correct young lad. Good footage of boy riding atop Willy.

Philadelphia (15).Not a free willy in sight in this one. Hollywood, which normally reserves its Aids compassion for award ceremonies, Liz Taylor's parties and the manufacturers of red ribbons, makes a bid for the first mainstream blockbuster about the illness. Tom Hanks stars as a gay lawyer.

Mark Steyn

THEATRE

Galileo, Almeida (071 359 4404), 9 February. New version of the Brecht classic from David Hare as the Islington theatre stays hot.

Maxwell the Musical, Criterion, (071 839 4488), 14 February.Huge white monster in sea: is this Moby Dick 11 or just another fraud?

The Kitchen, Royal Court (071 730 1745). New director, Stephen Daldry, makes main-stage debut with Wesker's early autobiography below stairs.

Sheridan Morley