RESOUNDING ECHOES: From August 2022, Robert McCarney's regular series features little-known twentieth century classical composers.
Spotlight. The Composer as Social Researcher - John Dante Prevedini listens to music by the Daniel Pelton Collective. '... a successful investigation into the perennial question of classical music's broader accessibility ...'
Spotlight. Microtonal Connections - Keith Bramich listens to the Auerbach-Pierce Duo. '... nearly an hour of intriguing, sensitively played music.'
Classical music news. May 2024 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our May 2024 one hour video newsletter - Improvisation in the classical world and beyond
Classical music news - Liberation Festival - Jersey's international festival of classical music and jazz runs from 9-18 May 2024
Spotlight. Grammars of Space - John Dante Prevedini explores the music of composer and multi-instrumentalist Jérôme Descamps. '... a testament to the powers available to the resourceful composer-performer in the contemporary chamber idiom.'
Spotlight. A Great Release - Geoff Pearce appreciates Laura van der Heijden and Jâms Coleman's cello and piano recital. '... the performers do not appear to be recorded with microphones too close, which results in realistic blending, and also a feeling of distance, perhaps reflecting the distant and mysterious qualities of the moonlight.'
Ensemble. Bubbling Energy - Mike Wheeler listens to Sarah Beth Briggs
Classical music news - August 2022 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
CD Spotlight. Nobler in the Mind? - Giuseppe Pennisi finds Joseph Summer's 'Hamlet' a musical hodgepodge. '... almost in late Romantic style.'
CD Spotlight. A Rich Tradition - Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by American composer William Grant Still. 'A peach of an issue, superbly performed, recorded and annotated.'
Ensemble. Becoming One - Mike Wheeler listens to music by Raphael Clarkson, Cecilia McDowall, Beethoven, Bartók, Preetha Narayanan and Mozart to celebrate Sinfonia Viva's fortieth anniversary
Ensemble. An Interesting Contamination of Genres - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the first Italian performance of 'The Passion according to St Mark' by contemporary Polish composer Paweł Mykietyn
Classical music news. March 2022 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our March 2022 newsletter
CD Spotlight. Imaginative and Different - A variety of Christmas music from Navona Records, heard by Keith Bramich. '... played superbly.'
Classical music news - Notations - Oregon Symphony's latest digital series celebrates the connection between culture and music, spotlighting the diversity of Oregon's extraordinary musical landscape
Ensemble. Artificially Injected? - Mozart from Omer Meir Wellber and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra with 'a number of surprises' as part of the Buxton International Festival Digital 2020 Season, experienced by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. A Nostalgic Novelty - Paul English's 'Girl in Green', reviewed by Ona Jarmalavičiūtė. '... feels personal and human, bringing charged emotion.'
Classical music news. Obituary - Nikolai Kapustin (1937-2020)
CD Spotlight. Masterly Setting - Paul Sarcich listens to traditional Croatian song plus jazz-rock inflected arrangements. 'The recording of the women is very clear and detailed, the big band has some balance problems ...'
Classical music news. The Elgar Festival - An annual celebration of the great British composer takes place in Worcester and Malvern, UK, during May
Classical music news. Darya Dadvar - The Iranian opera singer is to appear in Los Angeles on 8 March 2020
Ensemble. Vaughan Williams and Jazz? - Mike Wheeler listens to a talk from Stephen Johnson, and to two works by Vaughan Williams played by John Wilson and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
CD Spotlight. The Merging of Migrating Sounds - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė listens to music by American composer Derek Bermel. '... here the merge is extremely harmonious.'
Ensemble. Packed With Good Things - Roderic Dunnett reports from the 2019 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester
Classical music news. STEIM 50 Years - Amsterdam's STudio for Electro-Instrumental Music celebrates its fiftieth birthday
CD Spotlight. Considerable Appeal - Music by Peter Lieuwen, heard by Geoff Pearce. 'Peter Lieuwen appeals on many different levels, and this offering demonstrates his recognisable and accessible style.'
Classical music news. Obituary - Sven-David Sandström (1942-2019)
Classical music news. Obituary - Alfred Janson (1937-2019)
Classical music news. Obituary - Wolfgang Meyer (1954-2019)
Classical music news. Obituary - Jacques Loussier (1934-2019)
Classical music news. Obituary - André Previn (1929-2019)
CD Spotlight. Not an Obvious Connection - Debussy and Jazz, heard by Paul Sarcich. 'For those with wide enough ears it will be an attractive and thought-provoking listen.'
CD Spotlight. Double Meanings? - Seattle-based ensemble Torch, heard by Keith Bramich. '... the music sounds modern, jazzy, light and almost aleatoric-sounding.'
Ensemble. Big-band Jazz and Choral Traditions - Mike Wheeler listens to music by Will Todd and Nils Lindberg, performed by Derby Choral Union with the Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra
Ensemble. Well Scrubbed-up and Dapper - Sinfonia Viva and conductor Duncan Ward, with guest soloists Cordelia Williams and Alice Zawadzki, leave a deep impression on Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Highly Enjoyable - Jazz piano etudes by Milan Dvorák, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... Milan Franek gives wonderfully lighthearted interpretations ...'
CD Spotlight. Slickly Professional - The latest in Cala Records' 'London Sound' series impresses Howard Smith. '... music of surpassing excellence.'
CD Spotlight. Gentle Playing - Juan Álamo's jazz for marimba, heard by Ron Bierman. '... beautiful, rich tones ...'
Ensemble. A Thrilling Journey into the Unknown - Malcolm Miller visits the London International Jazz Festival
Ensemble. Swift and Corrosive - Giuseppe Pennisi takes a sniff at Shostakovich's 'The Nose'
Ensemble. Eros and the Almighty - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the 2012 Ravenna Festival
CD Spotlight. Constant Discoveries - Catherine Gordeladze's Kapustin études and preludes delight Howard Smith. '... truly original works ...'
DVD Spotlight. Classical Jazz - Tim Kliphuis at Iford Manor, reviewed by Bill Newman. '... very much music for relaxation ...'
Ensemble. Humour and Fizz - Eddie Daniels and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kristjan Järvi, heard by Alice McVeigh
Ensemble. Convincing Jazz - Will Todd's 'Mass in Blue', heard by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Compositional Thought - Piano music by John Corigliano, recommended by Karen Haid. 'Oppens and Lowenthal give strong performances of this music.'
DVD Spotlight. Not for Everyone - A collaboration between Turnage and Scofield, reviewed by Ron Bierman. '... well executed ...'
Ensemble. Christ Re-Crucified - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the Italian première of Bohuslav Martinu's Greek Passion
Ensemble. Full of Irony - Shostakovich's 'The Nose', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
CD Spotlight. Tough Assignment - Michelle Stebleton plays music for solo horn, and Paul Sarcich is impressed. '... both musical and technical satisfaction ...'
CD Spotlight. Knowledge and Imagination - Lavinia Meijer plays recent music for harp, and impresses Paul Sarcich. '... an exceptional player ...'
Masks - Jennifer Paull continues her investigation of musical and theatrical masks
Masks - Jennifer Paull investigates a layering of musical and theatrical masks, with the omnipresent eerie reminder of the gas mask
Ensemble. Neatly Balanced - A City Lit music gala, enjoyed by Malcolm Miller
CD Spotlight. Rhythmic Interplay - Music by Babbitt and Feldman, heard by Patric Standford. '... fresh and striking ...'
CD Spotlight. A Must-have - Piano music by Federico Mompou, recommended by Natalie Artemas-Polak. 'Haskell Small's contemplative approach admirably suits these pieces ...'
CD Spotlight. A New-Age Universe - Bryan Beadle plays his own compositions, heard by Ron Bierman. '... flashes of beautiful sound ...'
His Forever - My Love Affair with Johann Sebastian Bach, by Gloria DeVidas Kirchheimer
CD Spotlight. Utmost Clarity - William Appling plays Joplin and Bach, heard by Howard Smith. '... consistently four square, honest, unpretentious ...'
Ensemble. A Class Of Its Own - Lawrence Budmen listens to the Cleveland Orchestra
Mature and Considered - Stephen Savage plays Beethoven, heard by Julian Jacobson
CD Spotlight. Insistent Patterns - Music by Yuanlin Chen, recommended by Ron Bierman. '... marvelous textures ...'
Ensemble. Invigorating Performance - Sinfonia Viva plays Judith Weir, heard by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Brisk Ebullience - Lawrence Budmen sends a second report from this summer's Tanglewood Festival
CD Spotlight. Glittering Technique - Music by Gershwin for piano and orchestra, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... commendable drive and clarity.'
CD Spotlight. Utterly Absorbing - A sampler from Cedille Records, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... top quality standards.'
Ensemble. Suite Brolga - Music of David Salisbury at the 2009 Australian Festival of Chamber Music, reported by Malcolm Tattersall
Ensemble. Thought-provoking - Music by Harle and Maxwell Davies, heard by Malcolm Miller
Ensemble. Another Treat - Martinu's 'Mirandolina' at Garsington Opera, by Roderic Dunnett
Ensemble. Exceptional Gifts - Lawrence Budmen reports from the 2009 Miami International Piano Festival
CD Spotlight. Glamorous Barbarity - John Corigliano's 'Circus Maximus', heard by Ron Bierman. 'The performances could not be bettered ...'
CD Spotlight. Expressive Beauty - Chamber music by Marjan Mozetich, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... "Hymn of Ascension" stood out for its power and cogency.'
Music for Musicians Only? - The public turns a deaf ear to improvised music. As for classical music, Jan Dahlstedt claims that having abandoned improvisation, classical music entered a sidetrack from which it has never escaped, thus badly stifling creative progress. If he is guilty of heresy or may have a point, read on and judge for yourself.
Ensemble. Exciting Results - A new partnership between Charles Dutoit and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, experienced by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Portraits in Music - 'The Sucker Punch Requiem' by Lisle Ellis, enjoyed by Ron Bierman. 'Recommended ... to classical listeners interested in expanding their listening domain.'
Record Box. Dazzling Works - Contemporary music from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, recommended by Patric Standford
Record Box. Superlative Playing - Music from the Glass Farm Ensemble impresses Malcolm Tattersall
Ensemble. Quirky Humour - Uri Caine meets Sinfonia Viva, and Mike Wheeler listens
Ensemble. Musical Inventiveness - The Gwilym Simcock Trio, enjoyed by Rex Harley
Ensemble. Excellently Contrasted - Mike Wheeler listens to tenor saxophonists Don Weller and Bobby Wellins, backed by a rhythm section and a string quartet from Sinfonia Viva
CD Spotlight. Assurance and Experience - Music from Tony Gould and David Ward-Steinman, reviewed by Paul Sarcich. '... two players who specialise in shades of touch ...'
Record Box. Beautifully Played - Music by Igor Raykhelson, reviewed by Patric Standford
DVD Spotlight. Ineluctably Absorbing - Ganelin Trio Priority live in Vilnius, enjoyed by Howard Smith. 'Jazz in Lithuania has never looked back.'
Ensemble. Requiem in Blue - Rex Harley was at Harvey Brough's 50th birthday concert
Ensemble. Refreshingly Inventive - Julian Bliss, Nicholas Kok and Sinfonia Viva in Nottingham, enjoyed by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Brahms and Jazz - Organist Peter Gould joins forces with The Swingle Singers, reviewed by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Confronting Energy - Music played by the Meridian Arts Ensemble, reviewed by Malcolm Tattersall. '... the Kronos Quartet of brass ensembles?'
CD Spotlight. Individuality and Variety - Groove-oriented chamber music by Gernot Wolfgang, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... highly professional performances ...'
CD Spotlight. Touching Hearts - Yale Strom's 'Café Jew Zoo', reviewed by Ioana Osoianu. '... beautifully sung by Elizabeth Schwartz.'
Ensemble. Fresh and Involving - Lunchtime jazz from the Georgia Mancio Quartet, reviewed by Malcolm Miller
Three Questions before the First Night - Carson Cooman talks to Michael Woods about his new work 'Pieces of Light'
Ensemble. The freedom of jazz - 'All Rise', by Wynton Marsalis, reviewed by Malcolm Miller
CD Spotlight. Cool fusion - Chamber music by David Baker, reviewed by Malcolm Tattersall. 'Baker's slow movements are all gorgeous ...'
CD Spotlight. A versatile performer - Daphna Cohen-Licht's recital disc 'Emotional Turbulence', reviewed by Robert Hugill. '... Cohen-Licht gives full reign to the drama ...'
CD Spotlight. Original sounds - Music by Kellogg and Crumb, recommended by Ron Bierman. '... an intriguing release with outstanding performances.'
Ensemble. A memorable evening - Maurice Hasson's 70th birthday recital with Gabriela Montero was a notable 2005 Wigmore Hall event for Bill Newman
Ensemble. Musical magic - Round midnight at Festival Miami 2004, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen
Ensemble. Effervescent clarinet - Lawrence Budmen listens to Richard Stoltzman in a crossover programme
Ensemble. A mixed bag - Bill Bruford's Earthworks and The Zawinul Syndicate at St David's Hall, Cardiff on Tuesday 4 May 2004, reviewed by Rex Harley
Ensemble. Drawing you in - The Tord Gustavsen Trio's first ever UK performance, appreciated by Rex Harley
Ensemble. Jazz Yatra - The Indian Jazz Festival, reviewed by Colin D'Cruz
CD Spotlight - From rags to riches. '... clear purpose and technical prowess.' Peter Dickinson's music, with Basil Ramsey
Jazz Legend - A tribute to Oscar Peterson, by Malcolm Miller