A selection of 'music for percussion' articles
Ensemble. As Compelling as Expected - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Ravel, Thorvaldsdóttir, Nielsen, Shostakovich and more from the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
Classical music news. January 2025 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our January 2025 video newsletter - Music and the Visual World
Ensemble. A Homage to Sibelius - Mike Wheeler was in the Nottingham audience for music by Thomas Adès, Rautavaara and Sibelius
Resounding Echoes by Robert McCarney - Joy!
Spotlight. Music in Context - Endre Anaru listens to Michael Kieran Harvey's 'The Sparrow and the Mead Hall'. 'Harvey has taken up the gauntlet thrown down by Zappa, added his own massive creativity and offers a challenge to listener ...'
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. The Tyranny of Consensus - John Dante Prevedini discovers a missing chapter in the history of electronic music in England. '... increased subtlety and variety of techniques employed ...'
Chocallo - A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae
Spotlight. A Stupendous Box Set - Gerald Fenech strongly recommends Antonio Pappano's complete symphonic, concertante and sacred music recordings with the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. '... music-making of exceptional passion and indescribable beauty that exalts the listener to heights of immense joy and feverish excitement.'
Resounding Echoes by Robert McCarney - The Journey Begins
Ensemble. Remarkable Assurance - Mike Wheeler savours an Anglo-American programme from the Sitwell Singers
Spotlight. Superb Performances - Amber Lin and Jeffrey Neil investigate Christine Moore Vassallo's journey through Spanish song. 'Christine Moore Vassallo and her ensemble were a delight to experience.'
Spotlight. Anything but Indifferent? - Keith Bramich listens to music by Jane Stanley. '... by turns beautiful, cheeky, dreamy, engaging, gentle, intimate, modern-sounding, poised, reflective, serious, spatial, swirling and thoughtful.'
Ensemble. A Very Satisfying Evening - Keith Bramich enjoys a charity concert in London
Spotlight. Precious, Luminous Gems - Esdras Mugatik listens to music for accordion by British composer Ronald Stevenson (1928-2015). '... a magical capacity to differentiate levels of sound ...'
Ensemble. Radically New for Western Audiences - Adam J Sacks reports from the Hong Kong Arts Festival
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. Virtuosic Flair - Gerald Fenech recommends dance music played by Daniel Hope and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. 'Daniel Hope's fiddle-playing is just phenomenal ...'
Spotlight. Quite Astonishing - Keith Bramich listens to the sound of Andean highland instruments used in new ways. '... surprisingly varied, unusual and different ...'
Ensemble. No Lack of Stylistic Variety - Mike Wheeler listens to music for two harps and various percussion from the Chroma Harp Duo
Spotlight. Complex and Interesting - Songs for tenor, violin, cello and percussion, enjoyed by Geoff Pearce. '... the tenor, Brian Thorsett, has an admirable technique ...'
Spotlight. Evocative and Quite Compelling - On the basis of the two works heard here, Geoff Pearce believes that Emily Howard's music will stand the test of time. '... the assembled forces have done a splendid job in delivering a rather startling performance.'
Ensemble. Conjuring the Spirit of Bernstein - Adam J Sacks reports on two Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts at Tanglewood
Ensemble. Unexpected Pleasures - Ron Bierman was at the opening of La Jolla Music Society's Summerfest season
CD Spotlight. A Moravian in Vienna - Keith Bramich listens to Wranitzky sinfonias. '... sprightly and intelligently played readings ...'
CD Spotlight. The Space as an Instrument - John Dante Prevedini listens to the fine sonic details of music by the late Alvin Lucier
CD Spotlight. Saariaho's Last Gift - John Dante Prevedini is impressed by BIS Records' tribute to the Finnish composer
CD Spotlight. The Collective as Artist - John Dante Prevedini listens to new music from the Danish music collective Damkapellet
CD Spotlight. All Praise - Nielsen symphonies, enthusiastically recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Maybe the best set ever of Nielsen's symphonic cycle in immaculate sound quality and sumptuous presentation.'
Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Turn that racket down!
Classical music news - American Invention - The New York Virtuoso Singers present a February 2023 concert of first performances
Classical music news - January Newsletter and December Obituaries - Our January 2023 PDF newsletter has just been published, along with a summary of those the classical music world lost in December 2022
Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - The Mouth of Hell
Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Horses for Courses
CD Spotlight. Thoroughly Delightful - Geoff Pearce listens to chamber music by Poulenc. '... the performers are all very fine ...'
CD Spotlight. Uncloaking a Sonic Universe - John Dante Prevedini listens to Rebeca Omordia's album 'African Pianism'. '... a compact, balanced and vital gateway to the work of African composers in the Western classical tradition ...'
CD Spotlight. A Connection with Mahler - Music by Penderecki, recommended by Geoff Pearce. 'The Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Sopot, conducted by Wojciech Rajski, is magnificent.'
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
CD Spotlight. A Bridge between Musical Cultures - Music by Lukas Ligeti, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi. 'If you like electronic music and African (even archaic) music, this CD is your perfect cup of tea.'
CD Spotlight. Charming and Evocative - Geoff Pearce listens to music by Alexander Rahbari. 'The performances by all involved are very fine, and I hope that this will serve to open the ears, minds and heart to music that perhaps, without this fine composer, most of us would never get to hear.'
CD Spotlight. A Tango Like You've Never Heard Before - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė listens to music by Kuljit Bhamra and Davide Giovannini. '... always colorful, never boring, even though at times overflowing with impressions.'
CD Spotlight. Symphonic Fantasias on Songs - Peter Breiner's 'Slovak Dances, Naughty and Sad', recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Elegant and full of warmth, these dances are imaginatively orchestrated and extremely well crafted, and the playing is wonderfully affective.'
CD Spotlight. A Vision of Ambivalence and Incoherence - Music by Kalevi Aho, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... it makes huge demands on the listener ...'
CD Spotlight. A Nostalgic Novelty - Paul English's 'Girl in Green', reviewed by Ona Jarmalavičiūtė. '... feels personal and human, bringing charged emotion.'
CD Spotlight. Full of Colours and Flavour - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music from Sharon Isbin and the Pacifica Quartet. '... an original program and excellent rendering make very pleasant listening.'
CD Spotlight. The Host and the Guest - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė listens to a celebration of Eastern and Western musical cultures. '... truly striking performances.'
CD Spotlight. Serious and Entertaining - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė listens to choral music by William Mathias. '... each moment ... truly captivates and draws further.'
Ensemble. Exquisitely Beautiful - Music for percussion by Chou Wen-chung, Chinary Ung, Lei Liang, Michael Pisaro and Edgard Varèse, heard by Ron Bierman
Ensemble. Darmstadt is Dead - A performance of 'Hyperion' in Rome celebrates Bruno Maderna's centenary, and Giuseppe Pennisi is in the audience
Ensemble. As Fresh As Ever - Mike Wheeler takes stock of Benjamin Britten's 1948 cantata 'St Nicholas'
Ensemble. Blaringly Unusual - Maria Nockin listens to Pittance Chamber Music's opening concert
Lost Music for Lost Souls - Richard Meszto tells the story of the re-discovery of Allan Rae's music for 'Charles Manson AKA Jesus Christ', a play by Fabian Jennings
Ensemble. Mastery and Versatility - Giuseppe Pennisi attends three Tokyo Ballet performances in Rome
Ensemble. On the High and Open Sea - Giuseppe Pennisi samples Italy's 2019 Ravenna Summer Festival
Ensemble. All About Collaboration - Music by Steve Reich impresses Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Distractingly Unusual - Peter Navarro-Alonso's Goldbergs re-invented, heard by Keith Bramich. 'It's certainly clever, but I'm not sure what it gives us that we don't already have.'
CD Spotlight. Melting Ice - Music from glaciers by Matthew Burtner, recommended by Keith Bramich. '... a slightly romanticised account of the effects of climate change in the far north, which doesn't affect the pure beauty, and often sadness, of these vivid and intriguing natural sound recordings and ideas.'
CD Spotlight. Highly Unusual - Music by Toivo Tulev, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'The highlight of this recording is undoubtedly the 2013 Magnificat in which Tulev courageously departs from the text's traditional solemn setting and creates a sound world of immense originality by means of stratospherically high string writing and wild percussion solos.'
CD Spotlight. Double Meanings? - Seattle-based ensemble Torch, heard by Keith Bramich. '... the music sounds modern, jazzy, light and almost aleatoric-sounding.'
Ensemble. A Refreshing Novelty - Marimba duo G-Mizz, heard by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Inscrutable Stillness - Music by Peter Garland impresses Anett Fodor. 'It was the first - but I am sure not the last - time that I had listened to Garland's music and for 34 minutes time stood still while I was listening to it.'
DVD Spotlight. Hard to Chew - Music by Axel Borup-Jørgensen, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'This is music that needs to be listened to several times before one can start to comprehend the composer's inner thoughts ...'
CD Spotlight. No Reservations Here - The Meridian Arts Ensemble, heard by the late Howard Smith. '... an unusually broad span of inspired composition.'
CD Spotlight. Specially Reconstructed - Music for ancient giant horns, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... for those who wallow in the joys of past cultural mysteries and their unraveling, this issue is a must.'
CD Spotlight. Absolutely Superb - Choral music by Jan Jirásek, recommended by Geoff Pearce. 'There are some absolutely ravishing vocal passages, and I can't say I have ever heard music quite like this before.'
CD Spotlight. A Treasure Trove - Music for Palaeolithic bone flutes fascinates Gerald Fenech. '... the oldest evidence of musical creation anywhere in the world.'
Ensemble. Dancing Vigour - Percussionists Owen Gunnell and Oliver Cox, appreciated by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Utmost Precision - Music by David Kechley impressed the late Howard Smith. 'Stimulating, unpretentious, singularly different.'
Ensemble. Haunting Effect - Spanish and Catalan music from Maria Camahort and friends, heard by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. A Long Musical Summer - Giuseppe Pennisi attended the Chigiana International Festival in Siena
CD Spotlight. Immediate Appeal - Music by and inspired by Axel Borup-Jørgensen, recommended by Geoff Pearce. '... very descriptive, atmospheric music ...'
CD Spotlight. Gentle Playing - Juan Álamo's jazz for marimba, heard by Ron Bierman. '... beautiful, rich tones ...'
Ensemble. Extraordinary Artistic Freedom - The Francesco Siciliani Prize at Sagra Musicale Umbra, by Giuseppe Pennisi
CD Spotlight. Convincing Work - Music for soprano and percussion orchestra, heard by Paul Sarcich. 'The percussion work on this album is of a very high standard ...'
CD Spotlight. Rewarding Listening - The McCormick Percussion Group, heard by Paul Sarcich. '... much to delight the ear.'