PROVOCATIVE THOUGHTS:
The late Patric Standford may have written these short pieces deliberately to provoke our feedback. If so, his success is reflected in the rich range of readers' comments appearing at the foot of most of the pages.
FEEDBACK: She said WHAT? Read what people think about our Classical Music Daily features, and have your say!
Classical music news. Obituary - Sylvano Bussotti (1931-2021)
Ensemble. Siena Wins a Heroic Bet - Giuseppe Pennisi attends the opening performance of the completely re-designed Chigiana International Festival and Summer Academy
CD Spotlight. Great Partners - Music for clarinet and piano, enjoyed by Geoff Pearce. 'This great disc will bring joy to everyone who listens to it.'
CD Spotlight. Musical Gallimaufry - Ivan Ilic plays Scriabin and American music, heard by Howard Smith. '... eight tracks of acceptable Scriabin ...'
CD Spotlight. Extraordinarily Beautiful - Joseph Summer's Shakespeare Concerts Series, heard by Howard Smith. '... immediately expressive.'
CD Spotlight. Quite Splendid - American vocal and symphonic music, heard by Bill Newman. '... much enjoyment and interest ...'
CD Spotlight. Somehow Different - Joshua Pierce's tribute to John Cage, recommended by Ron Bierman. '... either hypnotic or annoyingly eccentric.'
DVD Spotlight. Outrageously Flamboyant - Christian Lindberg as trombonist, composer and conductor, recommended by Ron Bierman. '... an extraordinary character ...'
Fun to Read - 'Dwynwen's Feast' by I H Smythe, read by Kelly Ferjutz
CD Spotlight. Ambiguous Alchemy - Choral music by Jonathan Harvey, explored by Jennifer Paull. '... truly spellbinding ...'
CD Spotlight. Positively Spellbinding - Music for clarinet, piano and cello, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... a fine recording ...'
CD Spotlight. Surrealist in Language - The homogeny of Jonathan Harvey, investigated by Jennifer Paull. '... superbly interpreted ...'
CD Spotlight. Lightness of Touch - Brahms and Strauss, heard by Patric Standford. '... a very fine performance by Joshua Pierce ...'
Ensemble. Pushing Back the Boundaries - London Sinfonietta's 'British Experiments', reviewed by Chris Graham
Ensemble. Museum Culture? - Experimental music by Cage, Cowell, Feldman, Rzewski, Satie and Wolff, heard by Malcolm Miller
CD Spotlight. Rhythmic Interplay - Music by Babbitt and Feldman, heard by Patric Standford. '... fresh and striking ...'
The Philosophy of Absence - Jennifer Paull investigates four releases of Cage's Number Pieces
Ensemble. Passionately Breathtaking - The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen
Record Box. Curious and Evocative - Quarter-tone keyboard music played by Joshua Pierce, reviewed by Patric Standford
Record Box. Highly Contrasting - Microtonal music, reviewed by Patric Standford
Murdering Classical Music - A Speculative History of the Present, by Gordon Rumson
A Real Treasure House - Dialogues with and about John Cage, reviewed by Patric Standford
Record Box. Gentle and Meditative - Music by Peter Dickinson, reviewed by Patric Standford
High Jinx and Haute Couture - On the anniversary of Cathy Berberian's birth, Jennifer Paull investigates the legendary musician's extraordinary talents in humouristic performance, and her equally astounding wardrobe
Cathy Berberian - Never knowingly misunderstood - Jennifer Paull questions the focus of the lens of musical history
'Sky poets paint the sheltered curve to find' - the first part of a triptych of articles by Jennifer Paull
CD Spotlight. Uncaged John - An attempt to decode his mysteries, by Jennifer Paull. 'Cage is a time-travelling machine.'