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.
SPONSORED: The Many Hats of Allan Rae - A Birthday Greeting, by Endre Anaru.
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Spotlight. Cinematic Imagery - Gerald Fenech warmly recommends film music by John Williams, played by the Saito Kinen Orchestra. 'Strongly recommended.'
Classical music news - A New Competition - The Tokyo Minato City International Music Competition and Workshop is being launched in 2024
Classical music news - February 2024 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
Spotlight. Feverishly Exciting - Gerald Fenech ardently recommends Skrowaczewski's 2016 recording of Bruckner's Eighth Symphony. '... full of energy and emotional visionary splendour ...'
Classical music news. February 2024 Newsletter and other news - Our February 2024 PDF newsletter has just been published, and amongst other items of news, we also feature a conversation between Tamami Honma and Barry Cooper
Classical music news - Hallelujah! - Enjoy performances around the world of Handel's 'Messiah' in December 2023
Classical music news - January 2023 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
Classical music news - May 2022 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
Ensemble. Welcome Back, Puritani - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience, in Rome, for Bellini's last great masterpiece
Ensemble. Mastery and Versatility - Giuseppe Pennisi attends three Tokyo Ballet performances in Rome
CD Spotlight. Glorious - Henri Barda plays Brahms, Beethoven and Chopin, recommended by Bill Newman. 'The performances are in a class of their own.'
Ensemble. Asian Aid - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the 2011 Puccini Festival
Ensemble. Orchestral Nuances - Thanks to a sparkling 'Barber of Seville', Giuseppe Pennisi rediscovers the beauty of Rossini's orchestration
Ensemble. High Standards - Bill Newman listens to various artists at London's Wigmore Hall
Absolutely Outstanding - Kotaro Fukuma's performances of Schumann, Chopin and Liszt amaze Bill Newman
Ensemble. An Icy Reception - Giuseppe Pennisi describes the 2010 Parma Verdi Festival's stormy beginning
CD Spotlight. Robust and Spirited - James Tibbles plays J S Bach, heard by Howard Smith. '... worthy of widespread international recognition.'
Ensemble. Meltingly Beautiful - Joshua Bell joins Vladimir Ashkenazy and the New World Symphony for music by Saint-Saëns and Mahler, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen
Ensemble. A Testing Programme - Bill Newman listens to Mayuko Katsumura and Gordon Back
Ensemble. Pervasive influence - A return visit to London by the Verdehr Trio, reviewed by Peter Dickinson
Record box. Energy and power - The Bach Collegium Japan performance of the St John Passion, experienced by Keith Bramich
Ensemble. Liszt at lunchtime - Eri Niiyama gives a recital in Tokyo's Suntory Hall, and Keith Bramich listens
Ensemble - A Japanese 'Riverdance'? Keith Bramich (with simultaneous translation by Yuri Izawa) experiences the four thousand strong spectacle of 'Sleeping King - the promise of love with a true heart'