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...
Copland’s Piano Concerto – A masterclass by Paul Lewis, Domingo Hindoyan & the Liverpool Philharmonic – Review
Liverpool Philharmonic with conductor Domingo Hindoyan started their season this week with a double header masterclass of 20th century classics. The crowning glory was surely Copland’s Piano Concerto played with seemingly effortless mastery by...
Rare Copland – A playlist that should surprise and delight
Let’s talk some more about Rare Copland. The playlist below consists mainly of relatively minor works that Aaron Copland composed throughout his career. You are almost certainly never going to hear most of them...
The World of Nick Adams at the Paley Center of Media
There are some Copland pieces that are harder to hear than others. Many are published but underplayed gems. Then there are numerous unpublished pieces of juvenilia (pre 1920) and incidental music from plays produced...
A pilgrimage to Rock Hill – Copland House
Way back in the mid 1990s when I was in my first wave of Copland mania I found out about Copland House. They were the only organisation I could find on the web at...