A selection of 'Wales' articles
Spotlight. Compelling Throughout - Gerald Fenech warmly recommends Karl Jenkins' 'The Armed Man'. '... the performance is one of the most moving I've heard in recent times ...'
Classical music news. April 2024 Newsletter - Our April 2024 PDF newsletter has just been published, featuring some music festivals around the world this year
A Crack in Time? - A rare Leap Day editorial from Keith Bramich
Spotlight. Sumptuously Fragile Sounds - Gerald Fenech joyously recommends keyboard music from Handel's home in London. 'Technically flawless performances ...'
Spotlight. Sensitively Beautiful - Gerald Fenech recommends two albums from Signum Classics, marking this year's Puccini anniversary. '... an irresistible programme full of shimmering melodies ...'
Ensemble. No Lack of Stylistic Variety - Mike Wheeler listens to music for two harps and various percussion from the Chroma Harp Duo
Classical music news - November 2023 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
A Treasure Trove - Roderic Dunnett explores the substantial catalogue of Regent Records
Spotlight. Forty Years in Showbusiness - Gerald Fenech unreservedly recommends a new recording of Aled Jones, duetting with his younger self. '... a thrilling and vibrant journey of melodic invention.'
Spotlight. Complex and Interesting - Songs for tenor, violin, cello and percussion, enjoyed by Geoff Pearce. '... the tenor, Brian Thorsett, has an admirable technique ...'
CD Spotlight. Very Enjoyable - Geoff Pearce listens to the Tailleferre Ensemble. 'This is a lovely disc which will delight most listeners ...'
Profile. Ronald Stevenson - A little memory, a little overview and a little comment
Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Champions of Oblivion
Classical music news. March 2023 Newsletter - Our March 2023 PDF newsletter has just been published, along with some extra classical music news and our February 2023 classical music obituaries
Classical music news. Obituary - Hilary Tann (1947-2023)
Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Four by Four by Five fff
Ensemble. Present-day Concerns - Mike Wheeler listens to music by Valentin Silvestrov and Karl Jenkins
Classical music news. April 2022 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our April 2022 newsletter
Classical music news - March 2022 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
Ensemble. Beautifully Controlled - Mike Wheeler listens to piano music by Claude Debussy, Rhian Samuel, Francis Poulenc, Martin Butler, Robert Schumann and Benjamin Britten, played by Helen Reid
Ensemble. Seven Siblings - Mike Wheeler listens to performances by members of the Kanneh-Mason family
Classical music news. Petrichor Competition and Save Lev's Violin - The submission deadline for a new international music competition will pass in a few days' time, and money is being raised to restore a precious violin
CD Spotlight. Truly Revelatory - Music by English composer Cipriani Potter, highly recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Howard Griffiths and his BBC National Orchestra of Wales players deliver electrifying performances full of rhythmic vitality and lyrical warmth ...'
CD Spotlight. A Strange Beauty - Symphonies by Daniel Jones, heard by Geoff Pearce. 'The BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra delivers fine performances, as does the direction of its conductor, Bryden Thomson.'
Classical music news - Steven Gerber - The English Symphony Orchestra presents a Steven Gerber portrait concert
Ensemble. A Delightful Addition to Christmas - Bryn Terfel in Wales, the latest Met Stars live in concert, reviewed by Maria Nockin
CD Spotlight. Six Composers, Piano, Strings and Voice - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė listens to works by six female composers. '... performed profoundly ...'
CD Spotlight. Beethoven's Favourite Instrument - Peter Hill and Benjamin Frith play piano four hand music by the genius from Bonn, recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... devotedly recorded, impressively executed, rewardingly researched.'
CD Spotlight. A British Tint - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to two recent orchestral works by British composer Philip Sawyers. 'The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Kenneth Woods, gives masterly performances of the two pieces.'
Profile. Connecting the Natural and Human Worlds - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė talks to the Welsh composer Hilary Tann
CD Spotlight. Highly Effective - Gerald Fenech listens to miniatures by William Mathias. '... splendid and sweetly unaffected performances ...'
CD Spotlight. Serious and Entertaining - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė listens to choral music by William Mathias. '... each moment ... truly captivates and draws further.'
CD Spotlight. A Delight - Song cycles by Mahler, Berg and Rhian Samuel, sung by Ruby Hughes with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, impress Geoff Pearce. 'Right from the start, she shows a more flexible and somewhat lighter voice, but a very good understanding of the lyrics, and she colours her voice beautifully to express this.'
Ensemble. Contemporary Resonances - Opera North's production of Martinů's 'Greek Passion', reviewed by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Deeply Emotional - Alice McVeigh listens to music by the late John Joubert. 'William Boughton conducts with great sensitivity, and the orchestra excels.'
CD Spotlight. Dazzling Symphonies - Symphonies by Ruth Gipps, recommended by Roderic Dunnett. 'It conveys as much energy and artistry and expressiveness today as it did the day it was written.'
CD Spotlight. A Unique Journey - Boris Giltburg plays Rachmaninov, delighting Gerald Fenech. '... the soloist is consistently hands on on these challenging scores and his sense of timing and innate feeling for shaping grand tunes are effectively relayed.'
Punk Transformed? - Keith Bramich has lunch with Torsten Rasch, Roderic Dunnett and others, at the Three Choirs Festival
Ensemble. A Free-flowing Style - Mike Wheeler experiences the first professional opera specifically commissioned in Welsh
CD Spotlight. Ravishingly Beautiful - Karl Jenkins' Cantata Memoria, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... a deeply moving experience ...'
Ensemble. Very Effective - Igor Stravinsky's 'The Soldier's Tale' at the Presteigne Festival, reviewed by Keith Bramich
Ensemble. Most Entertaining - Peter Eötvös' 'The Golden Dragon' impresses Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. A Noble Simplicity - Piano music by Ronald Stevenson, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Christopher Guild delivers impressively clear and assured performances ...'
CD Spotlight. Stylized Dances - J S Bach's French Suites, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... exceptional readings full of profound emotional content, yet scholarly and alive.'
Ensemble. Wonderfully Atmospheric - Górecki, Chilcott, Thompson and Bernstein from Malcolm Goldring and the Sitwell Singers, heard by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Dance-like Vitality - Nick van Bloss plays Chopin, heard by Andrew Schartmann. '... unprecedented freshness ...'
CD Spotlight. Extremely Well-crafted - British music for oboe and strings, heard by Patric Standford. '... a particularly valuable contribution to the catalogue.'
CD Spotlight. Truth in Music - The Zodiac Trio, heard by Keith Bramich. '... young wine, already highly palatable ...'
CD Spotlight. Avowedly Definitive - John McCabe plays his own 'Tenebrae', heard by Howard Smith. '... imbued with anger and monumental in both structure and outlook ...'
CD Spotlight. Pure Welsh Magic - Richard Lewis, the great tenor, heard by Alice McVeigh. '... beg, borrow or steal.'
DVD Spotlight. Forthright Tempos - The Wihan Quartet plays Beethoven, heard by Howard Smith. '... little to truly set their work apart ...'
CD Spotlight. A Worthy Introduction - Song cycles and chamber music by Gareth Walters, heard by Patric Standford. '... deserves a firm place in the CD library.'
CD Spotlight. Gentle Passions - Music by John Jeffreys, heard by Patric Standford. '... beautifully paced ...'
CD Spotlight. Thoughtful Output - Music by Thomas Hewitt Jones, heard by Patric Standford. '... attractive but questionably appropriate ...'
CD Spotlight. Impressive Singing - Vocal and choral music by Cecilia McDowall, heard by Patric Standford. '... attractive, lyrical and sometimes forceful ...'
Ask Alice - On location, social networking and the guitar, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh
CD Spotlight. In Calm and Storm - John Hardy's 'Blue Letters from Tanganyika', reviewed by Howard Smith. '... colorful, filmic, and open to pleasurable listening ...'
Ask Alice - A mega problem with a minor orchestra, solved by classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh
Ensemble. A fitting celebration - The BBC National Orchestra of Wales plays Ravel, Hoddinott and Vaughan Williams, reviewed by Rex Harley
Ask Alice - Busking amongst the sheep and speed cameras, classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh, live this week from Wales
Ask Alice - Classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh, apologises to her Welsh readers
Ask Alice - A brush with the law for classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh
Excited by music - Flautist Kathryn Thomas in conversation with Keith Bramich
Presteigne notes - Further news from the continuing Presteigne Festival in Wales
Pianos and Pianists - Presteigne Pianists -
McCabe in Conversation - Presteigne Festival composer in residence John McCabe talks to the Chief Music Critic of the Birmingham Post, Christopher Morley
A vacation in Welsh border country - Keith Bramich introduces our six day visit to the Presteigne Festival of Music and the Arts