Total Immersion: Missy Mazzoli at the Barbican
Over the last few days I have had this idea in my head. If there was a new Mount Rushmore exclusively set aside for contemporary American composers, which four heads would be carved in...
Appalachian Spring MUSA Edition – a long overdue review
Once in a while a book is published that completely fills a void. That is certainly the case with Appalachian Spring Original Ballet Version produced by Music of the United States of America (MUSA)...
Who has recorded the most Copland? You may be surprised!
I bet you if I asked 100 people the question “Who has recorded the most pieces by Aaron Copland?” the most common answer by a very long way would be the New York Philharmonic...
Sound World @ The Crypt – 14 Jan: Concert review
I’ve been pretty busy over the last couple of weeks so this is a rather belated review of the second Sound World concert in the Crypt at the Mount Without (read my review of...
A great weekend in Bristol culminating in the World Premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Odyssey – Review
Bristol seemed to be like the centre of the classical musical world these last few days! We’ve had several features on BBC Radio 3 in the prominent Breakfast and In Tune slots and the...
Love, existence and death – Trio Chagall paint pictures of Vitebsk – Review
At the end of yesterday’s concert at Wigmore Hall pianist Lorenzo Nguyen said that as the concert had been “very tough” that their encore piece would be a movement from Haydn trio. This did...
Maestro – Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic – review
I don’t normally blog about something that is a current worldwide talking point. So where does one begin and what does one say, that hasn’t been said or written already about Bradley Cooper’s Maestro?...
Binary Stars – Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein
Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein were two titans of 20th Century Music. In many ways they were inseparable, a 50-year friendship where encouragement and patronage passed in both directions. More than this, like binary...
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group premiere Daniel Kidane’s Cradle Song and other recent British works
Some concerts you are aware of for weeks in advance and some come your way by happenstance! This morning I didn’t know I would be going to a performance this afternoon. Then an email...
Bristol Sound World begin their residency at the Mount Without – I was there!
Sometimes the thing you are looking for is right under your nose. Such is the case with the Bristol based project Sound World. I have been vaguely aware of this initiative and its valiant...
