SPONSORED: A Seasoned Champion of New Music. Argentinian-American pianist Mirian Conti in conversation with Andrew Schartmann.
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VIDEO PODCAST: Slava Ukraini! - recorded on 24 February 2022, the day Europe woke up to the news that Vladimir Putin's Russian forces had invaded Ukraine. A fifty minute video which also features Caitríona O'Leary and Eric Fraad discussing their new film Island of Saints, and pays tribute to Joseph Horovitz, Malcolm Troup and Maria Nockin.
The American Four Seasons, or Violin Concerto No 2, is a 2009 composition by American composer Philip Glass, designed as a companion piece to Vivaldi's Four Seasons. It was first performed in Toronto on 9 December 2009 by violinist Robert McDuffie and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Peter Oundjian, and its first European performance was in London on 17 April 2010 - again McDuffie, but with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Marin Alsop.
The work is unusual because four solo pieces - a prelude and three songs - precede each of the concerto's movements. The solo pieces can also be played together as a separate solo work. It is scored for solo violin, strings and synthesiser. The movements have generic titles such as 'Song 3' and 'Movement 4', offering no clues as to the connection with Spring, Summer, Winter or Autumn.