Classical Music Daily — recent articles — page 2

 

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney — A New Look and Format

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

CD Spotlight. Very Humanistic — Geoff Pearce enjoys a Naxos set of orchestral music by Swedish composer Hugo Alfvén. 'This is a set to be savoured.'

Ensemble. Unimpeachable Sensitivity — Mike Wheeler listens to Walton, Ravel, Gershwin and Debussy from John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London

CD Spotlight. An Important Historical Document — Patrick Maxwell listens to Vaughan Williams conducting Vaughan Williams. '... a typically ebullient and undogmatic interpretation of two central works of Britain's most popular composer.'

Ensemble. Plenty of Expressive Contrast — The Sitwell Singers' 2022 Christmas concert, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Bubbling Energy — Mike Wheeler listens to Sarah Beth Briggs

Ensemble. A Christmas Gift — Giuseppe Pennisi experiences some rare music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Ensemble. Bright Spots to Enjoy — Mike Wheeler was at Derby Concert Orchestra's Christmas Concert

CD Spotlight. Subliminal Pedagogy — John Dante Prevedini listens to Thomas Quasthoff singing Schubert, Mahler and J S Bach at Verbier. 'Taken within the context of Verbier, this album documents just as effectively his gift for pedagogical modeling as it does his vocal virtuosity.'

CD Spotlight. Rarities and Discoveries — Gerald Fenech listens to some unusual Verdi. 'A memorable programme, passionately performed and splendidly recorded ...'

Ensemble. Great Panache — Mike Wheeler listens to the Aquinas Trio

Ensemble. A Christmas 'Don Quixote' — Giuseppe Pennisi recommends a visit to the ballet

CD Spotlight. Very Worthwhile and Creative — Geoff Pearce discovers the music of Macedonian-born Mihailo Trandafilovski. '... the performers are outstanding ...'

Ensemble. Chopin Forever — Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Gloria Campaner

Ensemble. Breathtaking Energy and Commitment — Mike Wheeler listens to Filarmonica Braşov

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney — The Roots of Magic

Ensemble. Atmosphere and Precision — Mike Wheeler listens to Dutch pianist Hannes Minnaar

CD Spotlight. Melodic Invention and Heartfelt Sincerity — Gerald Fenech recommends a Naxos recording of orchestral music by Florence Beatrice Price. 'John Jeter and his Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen provide truly splendid performances, vibrant and often pulsating, and superbly balanced.'

CD Spotlight. Heartachingly Beautiful — Geoff Pearce is impressed by Dudok Quartet Amsterdam's performances of Shostakovich and Bacewicz. '... freshness and vitality ...'

Classical music news. Obituary — John Aler (1970-2022)

Ensemble. Charm, Skill and Versatility — Ron Bierman listens to Isabel Leonard and Pablo Sáinz-Villegas in festive mood

Ensemble. 'Boris' at La Scala — Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by the HD transmission from Milan of Modest Musorgsky's opera

Ensemble. Particularly Special — Mike Wheeler finds real character in a Derby performance of Verdi's Requiem

CD Spotlight. Unabated Passion and Drive — Gerald Fenech finds much to discover in symphonies by Cláudio Santoro. '... performances full of intense power and restless excitement.'

Ensemble. Goose Bumps — Lucas Ball listens to Vaughan Williams and Delius sung by the Worcester Festival Choral Society

Ensemble. A Magnetic Presence — Mike Wheeler listens to Bartók, Dohnányi and Dvořák from Domingo Hindoyan and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with soloist Isata Kanneh-Mason

Ensemble. Absolutely Chopin — Giuseppe Pennisi is treated to a Chopin recital in Rome by Leonora Armellini

Ensemble. A Triumph on Every Conceivable Level — Mike Wheeler reviews a production of Monteverdi's 'L'Orfeo' which merges cultural worlds

CD Spotlight. Themes of Love and Loss — Music by Berlioz impresses Gerald Fenech. 'John Nelson's supreme mastery of these scores draws peerless performances full of exciting moments from the Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg, while bringing to the fore all the innovative details of orchestration and harmony.'

Ensemble. A Performance of Real Energy — Mike Wheeler has no complaints while listening to choral music by Vaughan Williams, Howells and Schmidt

Classical music news. December 2022 Newsletter — Our December 2022 PDF newsletter has just been published

CD Spotlight. Infectious Energy — Sibelius from the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Nicholas Collon, heard by Stephen Francis Vasta. '... the playing is gorgeous.'

Ensemble. Spirituality and Revolution — Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome on Francis Poulenc's 'Dialogues des Carmélites'

Ensemble. More Gluck, please! — Mike Wheeler finds Opera North's production of Gluck's 'Orfeo ed Euridice' totally riveting

CD Spotlight. Colourful Scoring — Dances and Ballet Music by Camille Saint-Saëns impress Gerald Fenech. '... a highly attractive choral disc, refreshingly performed and sumptuously recorded ...'

Ensemble. Focus and Clarity — Mike Wheeler listens to J S Bach, Chopin, Schubert and Debussy from English pianist Colin Stone

CD Spotlight. A Dark Nordic Kingdom — Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Verdi's 'Gustavo III' ('Un ballo in maschera'). '... a good recording to remember a much expected but somewhat disappointing performance.'

Ensemble. The Sheer Cynicism of a Hedonistic World — Mike Wheeler experiences Alessandro Talevi's revised production of Giuseppe Verdi's 'La traviata'

CD Spotlight. Generally Moving and Serenely Consoling — Gerald Fenech is impressed by choral music of Herbert Howells and Ian Venables. '... a highly attractive choral disc, refreshingly performed and sumptuously recorded ...'

CD Spotlight. Spiritual Gravitas and Edifying Beauty — Gerald Fenech is moved by Johann Michael Haydn's vocal and choral music. 'Roberta Paraninfo and her Italian choristers deliver riveting performances full of immaculate singing that penetrates straight to the heart, and Michael Haydn's superb choral writing is brought to the fore with flowing simplicity.'

CD Spotlight. Innate Musical Talent — Robert McCarney listens to Weinberger piano music. '... a very welcome CD ...'

Ensemble. Pretty Much Flawless — Lucas Ball listens to Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Brahms from Viv McLean, Keith Slade and the Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney — Nothing Written in the Stars

CD Spotlight. A Transcendental Experience — Gerald Fenech is impressed by this Mahler symphony cycle from Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. 'It is absolutely mystifying how this kind of music-making is humanly possible.'

Classical music news. The Birth of Chords — Watch Marina Frolova-Walker's lecture, which discusses the system that has dominated western music since the seventeenth century

CD Spotlight. Absolutely Wondrous — Steven Osborne plays Debussy piano music, greatly impressing Gerald Fenech. '... despatched with warmth and a great attention to detail ...'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney — The Mouth of Hell

Classical music news - November 2022 Obituaries — Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

CD Spotlight. Thoroughly Enjoyable and Witty — Gerald Fenech listens to Poulenc, on Bramwell Tovey's last recording. 'Splendidly performed and sumptuously recorded ...'

CD Spotlight. Enraptured Spirituality — Robert McCarney listens to music by William Baines. '... a very welcome CD ...'

Classical music news. Great Resilience and Creativity — Twenty finalists have been announced for the 2023 Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition

CD Spotlight. Essentially a Romantic — Gerald Fenech listens to early recordings by Danish conductor John Frandsen. 'Frandsen's conducting has a pleasing flow that creates an aura of peace and serenity, and his flexible tempi and broad phrasing give the music that extra sparkle which is the difference between a good or great performance.'

Ensemble. Present-day Concerns — Mike Wheeler listens to music by Valentin Silvestrov and Karl Jenkins

Classical music news. Bernstein's String Quartet — Two movements of an early string quartet by Leonard Bernstein are to be recorded and issued on Navona Records next year

CD Spotlight. Alive and Impassioned — Gerald Fenech is impressed by Warner Classics' thirty CD Vaughan Williams New Collector's Edition. '... the music is often presented in all its thrilling drama to telling effect.'

Classical music news. November 2022 New Releases — Browse a large selection of new recordings

Ensemble. Paths of Excellence — Giuseppe Pennisi reports via live stream on the Ravenna Festival Mozart/Da Ponte Trilogy

Ensemble. On the Day of the Dead — Ron Bierman reports from San Diego on Gabriela Lena Frank's opera 'El último sueño de Frida y Diego'

CD Spotlight. A Voice Well Lent — John Dante Prevedini listens to Bruno de Sá with Il Pomo d'Oro directed by Francesco Corti. '... a noble and unique collective effort painstakingly researched and brilliantly executed.'

Classical music news. Beethoven Marathon — Julian Jacobson plays all thirty-two Beethoven piano sonatas, from memory, in one day

Profile. Imaginary Folklores — Robert McCarney talks to Azorean pianist Diana Botelho Vieira and reviews a recent concert in Spain

Ensemble. 'Three Bs' with a Twist — Russian pianist Anna Tsybuleva, heard by Mike Wheeler

CD Spotlight. Simplicity and Innocence — Robert McCarney listens to volume one of the complete piano music of Niccolò Castiglioni. 'Aldo Orvieto ... definitely has the measure of Castiglioni's unique universe and does this music proud.'

Ensemble. In Honour of Carla Fracci — Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Adolphe Adam's 'Giselle' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

 

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