A selection of 'New Zealand' articles
CD Spotlight. Strauss from the Antipodes - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews rarely-heard François Couperin orchestral transcriptions by Richard Strauss. '... good rendering by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under Jun Märkl ...'
Ensemble. Special Moments - Adam J Sacks provides a Hong Kong snapshot on the classical music world
Classical music news. 2023 World Symposium of Choral Music - Qatar wins the bid to host this prestigious musical event expected to attract between 2,000 and 4,000 delegates
CD Spotlight. Impressive and Delightful - Geoff Pearce listens to Martin Setchell playing the Christchurch Town Hall Rieger organ in New Zealand. '... a wide range of organ music that I am sure will delight lovers of fine organ playing.'
Classical music news. STEIM 50 Years - Amsterdam's STudio for Electro-Instrumental Music celebrates its fiftieth birthday
Vital Work - Margaret Fingerhut's UK piano recital tour raising awareness of the needs of refugees, recommended by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Appealing Work - Music for euphonium, heard by the late Howard Smith. '... it's the lyrical selections that reveal Frey at his finest.'
CD Spotlight. Coherent and Interesting - Music for string quartet by Lyell Cresswell interests Geoff Pearce. 'The Red Note Ensemble, a Scottish group specialising in new music, gives taut, precise performances, played with conviction.'
Profile. Held with Love - Halida Dinova remembers Howard Smith (1939-2015)
Memorable Distinction - Halida Dinova brings her Liszt to New Zealand, by Howard Smith
Very Unassuming - Geoff Pearce remembers the New Zealand composer John Ritchie (1921-2014)
Disarming Ease - The New Zealand String Quartet impresses Howard Smith
Ensemble. Held Spellbound - Haydn's 'Die Schöpfung' in Wellington, New Zealand, heard by Howard Smith
Profile. Uniquely Proactive - Howard Smith reviews the career of Alexander Ivashkin, who died in January 2014
Radojkovic in Lower Hutt - Howard Smith describes the Serbian pianist's return to New Zealand
Ensemble. Utterly Spellbinding - Jenny McLeod's new opera 'Hohepa', reviewed by Howard Smith
Fiery Drama - 'Cavalleria Rusticana' and 'I Pagliacci' at New Zealand Opera, enjoyed by Howard Smith
Ensemble. Songs of Exiles - The Canterbury Cellos, heard by Howard Smith
CD Spotlight. Witness to Atrocities - The poetry of Anna Akhmatova, heard by Howard Smith. '... a cause for unstinting applause and praise.'
Ensemble. An Irresistible First - Handel's 'Xerxes' in Wellington, New Zealand, enjoyed by Howard Smith
CD Spotlight. A Strange Choice - Violin concertos by Vivaldi, heard by Howard Smith. '... reliable and persuasive ...'
Ensemble. Gripping Intensity - Verdi's 'Macbeth' at New Zealand Opera impresses Howard Smith
Ensemble. Hugely Satisfying - As New Zealand arts funding strikes a sour note, Howard Smith listens to the Vector Wellington Orchestra
DVD Spotlight. Forthright Tempos - The Wihan Quartet plays Beethoven, heard by Howard Smith. '... little to truly set their work apart ...'
CD Spotlight. Spellbinding Artistry - Jonathan Plowright plays Chopin, recommended by Howard Smith. '... positively hair-raising.'
Ensemble. Sovereign Quality - Aidan Lang's 'The Marriage of Figaro', recommended by Howard Smith
CD Spotlight. Robust and Spirited - James Tibbles plays J S Bach, heard by Howard Smith. '... worthy of widespread international recognition.'
Ensemble. A Standout Production - New Zealand Opera's 'Eugene Onegin' impresses Howard Smith
CD Spotlight. Utterly Absorbing - A sampler from Cedille Records, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... top quality standards.'
Ensemble. Powerful Stuff - Howard Smith was at the last Vector Wellington Orchestra programme engineered by Christine Pearce
Effectively Projected - York Minster's Robert Sharpe plays the organ at Derby Cathedral, reviewed by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. True Artistry - Howard Smith attends New Zealand's Music Fair of Japan 2009
Ensemble. Dramatic and Responsive - Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra' from Chelsea Opera Group, reviewed by Robert Hugill
Ensemble. Wholly Captivating - Rossini's 'Italian Girl in Algiers' impresses Howard Smith
Truly Hilarious - Jenny Setchell's book 'Organ-isms', recommended by Kelly Ferjutz
Ensemble. Thoroughly Enjoyable - An Arizona winter treat of Verdi's 'Aida', enjoyed by Maria Nockin
Record Box. Magical and Sensitive - A recording by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain inspires Patric Standford
Ensemble. Rare Provenance - Kristallnacht remembered, by Howard Smith
Ensemble. Unsentimental Realism - Howard Smith was at Janácek's 'Jenufa' in Wellington
Ensemble. Sovereign Purity - Bach, Mozart and Beethoven from the Vector Wellington Orchestra, reported by Howard Smith
Ensemble. Indelible Magic - Hansel and Gretel in New Zealand, experienced by Howard Smith
Ensemble. Inner Strength - Puccini's 'La bohème' at New Zealand Opera, reviewed by Howard Smith
Ensemble. Heartfelt Stuff - A concert by the Amici Ensemble, renjoyed by Howard Smith
Chopin in the Boondocks - Stephen De Pledge returns to New Zealand, by Howard Smith
Timings - Both Sides of the Global Fence - James Gardner, by Jennifer Paull
Record Box. Bright Performances - Music for strings by Josef Myslivecek, reviewed by Patric Standford
Musical Adaptability - Down under with the Wellington Orchestra, by Howard Smith
CD Spotlight. Life-affirming Mozart - Recordings from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's 2006 Festival, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... bold, arresting, re-creative performances ...'
Ensemble. Flair and Fidelity - A concert by the Aroha String Quartet, enjoyed by Howard Smith
Four Strings to his Violin - Many strings to his bow ... Howard Smith reports on Marat Bisengaliev's third tour of New Zealand
Ensemble. Sensationally STILL - Alexa Still and the NGC Wellington Sinfonia, reviewed by Howard Smith
CD Spotlight. Incontrovertible logic - Gillian Weir plays Bach at St Thomas's, Leipzig, appreciated by Robert Anderson. '... skilfully explored ...'
CD Spotlight. Richly romantic - Orchestral music by Frank Bridge, praised by Patric Standford. '... a fine recording of music that has an outstanding place in English musical heritage.'
Ensemble. Mesmerising - Further thoughts on Longborough's 'Ring' and Sir Donald McIntyre as Wotan, from Roderic Dunnett
Ensemble. A real triumph - McIntyre sings Wotan at Longborough Festival Opera, reviewed by Roderic Dunnett
'Messiah' as never before - Howard Smith describes Lygia O'Riordan's quest to bring Handel's masterpiece to Eastern Russia
Ensemble. Jazz Yatra - The Indian Jazz Festival, reviewed by Colin D'Cruz
Caught unawares - Howard Smith listens to Serbian pianist Sonja Radojkovic in New Zealand
CD Spotlight. A palpable reality - Gillian Weir plays Messiaen, and Robert Anderson is thrilled. '... exciting fidelity ...'
Record box. Viola Concerto restored - David Thompson considers an important addition to Bartók's recorded legacy
Music's connective tissue - The story of STROMA, by Howard Smith
To Russia with Love - A bizarre story from Moscow, told by Howard Smith
Record box. Normal accessibilities - Symphonies from New Zealand, considered by Basil Ramsey
Profile - Being truthful to the music. Chenyin Li, the young Chinese winner of the 2001 Scottish International Piano Competition, talks to Keith Bramich about experiences, East and West
CD Spotlight - Voice of an angel. 'A wonderful collection ...' Gillian Weir's Organ Master Series on Priory, with David Thompson
Site seeing - cultural enlightenment, with Keith Bramich
Site seeing - It's all online ...
Larsen's Licence - Howard Smith writes about one of the most important and celebrated composers working today
Site seeing - More musical websites from classical cyberspace
Site seeing - Islamey and friends - discoveries and re-discoveries, with Keith Bramich
Record box - Give and Take. Basil Ramsey enjoys companion organ CDs
Site seeing - The cabbage patch - more readers' suggestions, with Keith Bramich
Trump card - Howard Smith tells the story of the New Zealand String Quartet's well-kept Hungarian secret
CD Spotlight - Renaissance. 'Jennifer Paull gives sparkling performances.' The oboe d'amore revitalised - with Basil Ramsey.