Henry Wood
Henry Wood was born in London on 3 March 1869 and died at Hitchin on 19 August 1944. His allegiance to the Promenade Concerts - arguably still the dominant feature of London's summer musicmaking, as the BBC Proms - is universally known, perhaps less so his courageous presentation of new music, notably Schoenberg's 5 Orchestral Pieces in 1912. He first played the organ, and later conducted opera before his first season of Proms in 1895.
A selection of articles about Henry Wood
CD Spotlight. Subtle Colours - Gerald Fenech is impressed by another volume in John Wilson's cycle of music by Eric Coates. '... the performances are consistently joyous and exciting ...'
CD Spotlight. Important Women Composers - British music by Ethel Smyth, Susan Spain-Dunk, Constance Warren and Ruth Gipps, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... performances of the highest calibre, combining irrepressible beauty and fragility with technical mastery that brings out all the suavity of these sophisticated creations.'
Ensemble. What does this symphony mean? - Shostakovich's 'Leningrad', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
CD Spotlight. High Spirits - Music by Dohnányi, heard by Howard Smith. '... the Buffalonians ... make their virtuosity seem almost effortless ...'
Ask Alice - On classical music in London's Royal Albert Hall, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh
Record Box. Wit and Energy - Music for piano and orchestra by Benjamin Britten, enjoyed by Robert Anderson
Ensemble. A Bright Future - Malcolm Miller was at the final night of the 2008 BBC Proms in London
Ensemble. Primal Energy - Barenboim and the Vienna Philharmonic play Bartók, Kodály, Enescu and Ligeti
CD Spotlight. Mr Bean and Elgar - A compilation of recordings from the 1970s, reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... a technical mastery that any world soloist might envy.'