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.
Classical music news - 'The C[ritic]s can Drown in their Baths' - English pianist Myra Hess is the subject of Jessica Duchen's new biography, which will be published in February 2025
Spotlight. Strikingly Individual - Keith Bramich finds the music of Moses Pergament haunting, strange and sad. 'All the performances here are excellent.'
Morawetz - A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae
Music as a Form of Magic - Larry Sitsky: Late Piano Pieces - Second Series 2022-2023
An Act of Love - Malcolm Miller discusses the play 'Dedication'
CD Spotlight. Innate Musical Talent - Robert McCarney listens to Weinberger piano music. '... a very welcome CD ...'
CD Spotlight. Full of Colour - Geoff Pearce enjoys music by Alberto Hemsi. 'The performers show a real affinity with this music and deliver a sparkling and vivacious performance that is full of character at every turn.'
CD Spotlight. A Plethora of Influences - Robert McCarney roundly congratulates Chandos and all involved with this CD. 'The playing by the various members of the ARC Ensemble is excellent throughout and the recording is crystal clear and atmospherically spacious.'
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
CD Spotlight. Supremely Pianistic - Gerald Fenech finds pure joy in Etsuko Hirose's recent Moszkowski piano works disc. 'Truly hair-raising stuff, wonderfully annotated and recorded.'
Fun and Frolics - Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg and Mahler from Benjamin Grosvenor, the Hallé Orchestra and Gergely Madaras, heard by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Mahler's 'Resurrection' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on an Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia performance in Rome
Ensemble. A Clear Success - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to contemporary music in a baroque setting
CD Spotlight. Richly Nourished - Hebrew music from violinist Maurice Sklar, heard by the late Howard Smith. 'Sklar's inspirational concert is faithful from start to finish.'
Ensemble. Dynamic Performances - Vladimir Jurowski conducts Zemlinsky and Mahler, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Creative Achievements - A seventieth birthday concert for Alexander Knapp, reviewed by Malcolm Miller
CD Spotlight. Alternative Worlds - Jewish cabaret music surprises Gerald Fenech. '... those who decide to take the plunge will be rewarded with riches aplenty.'
CD Spotlight. Something Transcendent - Music performed by A Far Cry, heard by Howard Smith. '... evidently capable hands ...'
CD Spotlight. Musical Rebellion - Composers displaced by the Third Reich, heard by Howard Smith. '... piano music of singular merit.'
Think of Something Beautiful - Malcolm Miller pays tribute to contralto Sybil Michelow
CD Spotlight. Real Confidence - Orchestral music by Meira Warshauer, heard by Patric Standford. '... too many ideas and too little development ...'
Ensemble. Immense Promise - Malcolm Miller reports on the recent Israeli and Bloch music competitions
Ensemble. Exotic Soundscapes - Two London concerts featuring music from the opera to the orient, attended by Malcolm Miller
CD Spotlight. A Choral Delight - The Antioch Chamber Ensemble, heard by Patric Standford. '... most valuable.'
CD Spotlight. Warmly Spontaneous - Ravel songs, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... utter conviction ...'
Ensemble. Rapturous Beauty - Richard Strauss's 'Capriccio', reviewed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. New Ideas - Malcolm Miller enjoys the Meitar Ensemble in concert and reports on the conference 'Art Musics of Israel'
CD Spotlight. Varied Moods - The Icicle Creek Piano Trio, heard by Robert Anderson. '... admirably captured ...'
Ensemble. Sex and Heroism - 'Juditha triumphans' at the Sferisterio Festival, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Deft Stagecraft and Virtuosity - Bloch and Israeli Music, heard by Malcolm Miller
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. A Unifying Mood - A new song cycle by Julian Dawes, heard by Malcolm Miller
A Vision of Shostakovich's String Quartet No 8 - A poem by J Jean Mayfield
Dual Personality? - In the 20th anniversary year of Bernstein's death, Giuseppe Pennisi writes about Italy's homage to Lenny
Ensemble. Discoveries Ahead - Malcolm Miller samples 'The World of Jewish Music' in London
Ensemble. A Sparkling Concert - Sabbath music from the Zemel Choir, enjoyed by Malcolm Miller
CD Spotlight. Fine-honed Skill - Alessandro Scarlatti's 'Davidis pugna et victoria', heard by Robert Anderson
CD Spotlight. A Superb Work - Thomas Arne's 'Artaxerxes', heard by Robert Anderson. 'Roy Goodman and his team give their all ...'
Ensemble. Refreshing Surprises - A concert in London by the Zemel Choir, enjoyed by Malcolm Miller
Ensemble. A Heavenly Blend - Joshua Habermann conducts the Master Chorale of South Florida, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen
Ensemble. Complexity of Thought - Eugene Feygelson and Malcolm Troup play Beethoven and Bloch, reviewed by Malcolm Miller
Committed and Tough - Malcolm Troup plays Bloch's Piano Sonata, appreciated by Julian Jacobson
Beauty and Inspiration - Jennifer Paull pays tribute to Matthew Peaceman (1956-2008)
Ensemble. Telling Power - Malcolm Miller attends the final concert in a series devoted to music by banned composers
Ensemble. Absorption of Influences - A revival of Bloch's early C sharp minor symphony, enjoyed by Malcolm Miller
Ensemble. Distant Sound - LA Opera's 'Recovered Voices', reviewed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. A Yiddish Winterreise - Malcolm Miller reviews a concert to commemorate Holocaust Day
Ensemble. Renewal and Revitalisation - Malcolm Miller enjoys the London Jewish Male Choir's 80th anniversary concert
Ensemble. Three Premières - Malcolm Miller applauds the latest concert of music by Julian Dawes
Ensemble. Music in Captivity - Malcolm Miller was at a lecture recital by Ronald Senator, with Teresa Gobel and Miriam Brickman
Ensemble. 'I wandered through Theresienstadt' - Malcolm Miller was at a Terezin concert on the eve of Holocaust Day 2006
Profile. The Hungarian Nightingale - A meeting with Gisela Doráti, better known as 'Gizi', by Bill Newman
Baton Magician? - David Stahl in conversation with Tess Crebbin about Bernstein, Mahler and German-language opera
Ensemble. Fascinating Fusions - Ladino music from Jewish Music Central marks the UK launch of the book 'The Sephardic Songbook', reviewed by Malcolm Miller
CD Spotlight. Touching Hearts - Yale Strom's 'Café Jew Zoo', reviewed by Ioana Osoianu. '... beautifully sung by Elizabeth Schwartz.'
CD Spotlight. Spirited ease - Songs of Jewish life, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... calm and delight to perfection ...'
CD Spotlight. Colourful spirit - Christmas music from the Mediterranean, enjoyed by Patric Standford. '... an intriguing expansion to musical horizons ...'
Ensemble. 'You are the Light of the World!' - The first performance of Nancy Galbraith's cantata 'God of Justice', reviewed by Carson Cooman
CD Spotlight. To be a composer - Benjamin Lees' Symphony No 4, appreciated by Ron Bierman. '... Buswell's playing is consistently rich and beautiful.'
Record box. Russian transcriptions - Basil Ramsey listens to music from the Jewish Folk Music Society
CD Spotlight. Bamboula! - The music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk, investigated by John Bell Young. '... unimpeachable authority and breathtaking virtuosity ...'
East and West - Malcolm Miller applauds Natasa Sarcevic's performance of music by Paul Ben-Haim
Ensemble. Medieval Hebrew - Malcolm Miller attends the première of 'The Death of Moses' by Julian Dawes
Ensemble. Affirmation of life - Malcolm Miller investigates the Yiddish tango
Ensemble. Hour of Magic - Malcolm Miller is enthralled by seldom-heard East European music
CD Spotlight - Profound beauty. '... a commendable account ...' Ernest Bloch's music, with Robert Anderson
Ensemble - Eastern melisma. Malcolm Miller hears the Tel-Aviv Trio at London's Wallace Collection
Proms before the Proms - Malcolm Miller attended two concerts by Israeli artists in a recent music festival in North London
Cultural flowering - Malcolm Miller in conversation with Hanna Munitz, General Director of New Israeli Opera
Songs of Ashes - The music of Julian Dawes on Holocaust Day, with Malcolm Miller
CD Spotlight - Passion and integrity. 'Peter Bruns and Roglit Ishay prove convincing advocates for this singleminded and almost obsessive music.' Remembering Ernest Bloch, with Robert Anderson
Pianos and Pianists - 10th London International Jewish Music Festival -