Classical Music Daily — all articles published in 2024

 

Classical music news. January 2024 Newsletter — Watch and listen to our January 2024 video newsletter - Twenty-five Years

Ensemble. Brightly Delivered — Mike Wheeler finds a concert by Nigel Short's Tenebrae choir unmissable

Spotlight. Warmth and Charm — Robert Levin plays Mozart concertos, recommended unreservedly by Gerald Fenech. 'These are simple and uncomplicated but wholly alluring Mozartian bonbons.'

Classical music news. Obituary — Alice Parker (1925-2023)

Spotlight. An Impressive Achievement — Geoff Pearce enjoys piano music by Christopher Brown. 'The writing requires a great deal from the pianist, both in technique and musical understanding and in this, Nathan Williamson excels.'

Spotlight. Superb Playing — Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by Stravinsky. '... consistently transparent and intensely alive.'

Inspiring Joy — Jeffrey Neil talks to American composer Jenny Wei about the use of new technologies

Spotlight. A Very Original Compilation — Geoff Pearce appreciates Piotr Anderszewski's recordings of Janáček, Szymanowski and Bartók. '... dazzling technique ...'

Classical music news. Laughter and Tears — Announcing a new Canadian opera and marking the Gustav Holst anniversary at the UK's Thaxted Festival

Classical music news - January 2024 Obituaries — Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Spotlight. Love's Lasting Power — Keith Bramich is impressed by Schubert from Harriet Burns and Ian Tindale. '... very sympathetic to the twists and turns of Schubert's narrative ...'

Spotlight. Interconnected Composers — Geoff Pearce listens to orchestral music by Ravel, Lennox Berkeley and Adam Pounds. 'The Pounds work is a revelation and I would buy this disc just for this alone.'

Ensemble. Refreshing and Exhilarating — Mike Wheeler starts the year with music by Dani Howard, Smetana and Richard Strauss from the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain

Classical music news - Composers and Conductors — A selection of news items from Australia, Germany, New Zealand, the UK and elsewhere

Spotlight. Quite Astonishing — Keith Bramich listens to the sound of Andean highland instruments used in new ways. '... surprisingly varied, unusual and different ...'

Spotlight. One of the Happiest French Symphonies — Gerald Fenech is impressed by Édouard Lalo's orchestral music. '... consistently transparent and intensely alive.'

Spotlight. Highly Individual — Geoff Pearce listens to chamber music by two generations of female composers. '... marvellous unfamiliar music ...'

Afternoon Tea with Gerard — On the eve of the centenary of the birth of composer Gerard Schurmann, Keith Bramich shares the address that he gave, remotely, at Schurmann's memorial service

A Constant, Authentic Genius — Roderic Dunnett pays tribute to composer Gerard Schurmann on the centenary of his birth

Classical music news. Obituary — Peter Schickele (1935-2024)

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. Gripping and Engaging — Geoff Pearce enjoys music by Edvard Grieg. 'It is especially rewarding to hear the unfamiliar works that make up much of this disc.'

Spotlight. Sensitively Beautiful — Gerald Fenech recommends two albums from Signum Classics, marking this year's Puccini anniversary. '... an irresistible programme full of shimmering melodies ...'

Spotlight. Excavations of Meaning — John Dante Prevedini recommends song cycles by contemporary American composer Douglas Boyce. '... an unusual vision bravely conceived and sensitively executed by all involved.'

Classical music news. New Releases for February 2024 and Later — Browse a selection of new recordings

Spotlight. Inspired and Joyous Choral Singing — Gerald Fenech strongly recommends choral music by Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn. '... stirring music from beginning to end from, maybe, the most famous siblings in nineteenth century musical history.'

Classical music news. A Miraculous Achievement — Claire Marsden visits Loughborough to play the Richard Strauss Horn Concerto No 1

Zwilich — A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae

Profile. It's Art — Ron Bierman talks to Amerian opera director Kyle Lang

Ensemble. Disarmingly Elegant — Mike Wheeler is impressed by Grieg and Chopin from British pianist Alexander Ullman

Ensemble. A Marvelous Concert in an Exceptional Setting — Ron Bierman reports on Mozart from the San Diego Symphony and Raphael Payare

Classical music news. February 2024 Newsletter and other news — Our February 2024 PDF newsletter has just been published, and amongst other items of news, we also feature a conversation between Tamami Honma and Barry Cooper

Ensemble. Appealingly Varied — Mike Wheeler listens to a cello and piano recital given by Kathryn Monteiro and Joanna Lam

Spotlight. Most Satisfying — Geoff Pearce highly recommends Andrius Puskunigis' recording of Handel oboe concertos. 'This disc is one of the finest I have heard of an oboist playing Baroque music on a modern instrument.'

Ensemble. Irresistibly Jolly — Mike Wheeler enjoys Sinfonia Viva's performance of Mozart's 'Gran Partita'

Spotlight. Inexhaustible Genius — Gerald Fenech welcomes a new disc of sacred choral music by William Byrd. '... the singing is consistently exquisite, marvellously balanced and warmly intimate.'

Spotlight. Unbelievably Delicate — Geoff Pearce appreciates a recording of Yoav Levanon playing Rachmaninov. '... fine performances by an exciting young pianist.'

Ensemble. An Expendable Frivolity? — Ron Bierman assesses San Diego Opera's production of Mozart's 'Don Giovanni'

Spotlight. Soul-searching Works — Gerald Fenech emphatically recommends orchestral music by Tchaikovsky. '... the singing is consistently exquisite, marvellously balanced and warmly intimate.'

Spotlight. A Romantic Piano Master — Esdras Mugatik listens to Shura Cherkassky. '... a magical capacity to differentiate levels of sound ...'

Classical music news. Gurwitz Winners — Yungyung Guo, Tatiana Dorokhova and Young Sun Choi win medals at the 2024 Gurwitz International Piano Competition

Ensemble. A Runaway Success — Mike Wheeler listens to choral music by seven students from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Spotlight. Sumptuously Fragile Sounds — Gerald Fenech joyously recommends keyboard music from Handel's home in London. 'Technically flawless performances ...'

Spotlight. Some Real Gems — Geoff Pearce will return often to this recording of orchestral music by Grażyna Bacewicz. '... full of invention and surprises ...'

Spotlight. Feverishly Exciting — Gerald Fenech ardently recommends Skrowaczewski's 2016 recording of Bruckner's Eighth Symphony. '... full of energy and emotional visionary splendour ...'

Classical music news - February 2024 Obituaries — Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. An Outstanding Choice — Ron Bierman is impressed by J S Bach, Barber and Haydn, played by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra led by veteran Dutch conductor Edo de Waart

Classical music news - Jess Gillam — The British saxophonist and her ensemble join Intermusica Artists' Management Ltd

Ensemble. Something Remarkable — Mike Wheeler listens to mostly avian music from Edouardo Strausser and the CBSO

Spotlight. Absolute Brilliance — Gerald Fenech recommends Warner Classics' forty-two disc set of recordings by Paavo Berglund. '... a precious treasure-trove packed with musical diamonds that took twenty-seven years to complete.'

Spotlight. A Great Release — Geoff Pearce appreciates Laura van der Heijden and Jâms Coleman's cello and piano recital. '... the performers do not appear to be recorded with microphones too close, which results in realistic blending, and also a feeling of distance, perhaps reflecting the distant and mysterious qualities of the moonlight.'

Spotlight. Vitality and Freshness — Gerald Fenech is delighted by Bojan Čičić and Steven Devine's recording of Handel's violin sonatas. '... infectious warmth and extraordinary dexterity ...'

Ensemble. Luminous Playing — Mike Wheeler is impressed by French/German pianist Elena Fischer-Dieskau's performances of Mélanie Bonis, Robert Schumann and Rachmaninov

Classical music news - Weight in the Fingertips — Ukrainian-American pianist Inna Faliks' recent book tells the story of her upbringing in a Soviet state and her path to becoming a concert pianist

Spotlight. A Wonderful Tribute — Endre Anaru praises Francesco Cera for his performance of The Well-Tempered Clavier: Part 2, Book 2. '... Cera has ascended two vast Himalayan peaks and is to be congratulated for this achievement.'

Taşbebek — A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae

Ensemble. An Almost Physical Impact — Mike Wheeler is impressed with the return of Dinis Sousa and the Royal Northern Sinfonia to play Prokofiev, Mozart and Beethoven

Spotlight. Charmfully Invigorating — Gerald Fenech listens to eighteenth century composer Boismortier's 'Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse'. 'Matthias Maute and his Ensemble Caprice deliver performances of the utmost clarity ...'

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.'

A Crack in Time? — A rare Leap Day editorial from Keith Bramich

Classical music news. March 2024 Newsletter — Watch and listen to our March 2024 one hour video newsletter - Classical Music and Politics

Spotlight. Fire and Brimstone — Gerald Fenech marvels at Alpesh Chauhan's new Tchaikovsky recording with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for Chandos. '... Chauhan's passionate approach is consistently vibrant, sensitive and fastidiously attentive to orchestral details.'

Classical music news - Turbulent Times — The Australian Youth Orchestra goes to Tasmania for its Autumn Season Concert

Ensemble. A Terrific Concert — Ron Bierman listens to Gill Shaham and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rafael Payare

Ensemble. Dazzling Virtuosity — Mike Wheeler listens to Valentin Silvestrov, Rachmaninov, Manuel de Falla and Musorgsky from Russian pianist Victor Maslov

Classical music news - Kublai Khan — The first performances of Salieri's opera 'Cublai, gran kan de' Tartari' will take place in April 2024

Spotlight. Neither Romantic nor Modern — Gerald Fenech recommends Francesca Dego's new recording of violin concertos by Brahms and Busoni. '... splendidly recorded and annotated ...'

Classical music news - Chandos Records — British classical record label Chandos Records has been acquired by Klaus Heymann, the founder of Naxos

Classical music news - Wakkerstroom Music Festival — An annual classical music festival in South Africa begins later this month

Classical music news - Liberation Festival — Jersey's international festival of classical music and jazz runs from 9-18 May 2024

Ensemble. All to Play For — Mike Wheeler listens to Bruckner's Symphony No 8 from Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra

Spotlight. A Winning Personality — Gerald Fenech strongly recommends music by Eugène Ysaÿe on the Avie Records label. '... passionate intensity and inspired brilliance ...'

Ensemble. A Fascinating Mix — Mike Wheeler listens to a joint concert by Derby Cathedral Choir and Sinfonia Viva

Spotlight. A Near Unforgettable Experience — Gerald Fenech praises Krijn Koetsveld and Le Nuove Musiche for their new Monteverdi recording. '... breathtaking precision and technical proficiency that are simply stunning.'

Ensemble. A Sure Feel for Dramatic Pacing — Mike Wheeler reviews Opera North's Mascagni/Rachmaninov double bill

Spotlight. Rare but Lovely — Gerald Fenech recommends Catalani's 'La falce'. 'Performances are excellent in every sense and Fabrizio Da Ros keeps things moving without undue fuss.'

Classical music news - A New Competition — The Tokyo Minato City International Music Competition and Workshop is being launched in 2024

Classical music news - March 2024 Obituaries — Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Spotlight. Highly Imaginative — Gerald Fenech warmly recommends music by Manuel de Falla and Igor Stravinsky. '... an absolute joy.'

Ensemble. Serious Emotional Turmoil — Mike Wheeler finds that the ending of Opera North's 'Così fan tutte' works brilliantly

Spotlight. A Lovely, Lovely Issue — Gerald Fenech recommends music by Handel and Vivaldi from Daniel Sæther and Ensemble C4. '... up there with the very best ...'

Classical music news - Clayton Stephenson — The 2022 Cliburn finalist has been awarded a 2024 Avery Fisher career grant

Spotlight. Fling Wide the Gates — Keith Bramich listens to Delphian Records' new recording of John Stainer's 'The Crucifixion'. '... excellent and committed performance ...'

Zelman — A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae

Spotlight. Richness of Surprise — Gerald Fenech urges you to invest in this cycle of Haydn symphonies from Johannes Klumpp and the Heidelberger Sinfoniker. 'It's a joy for a lifetime.'

Ensemble. Satisfyingly Impressive and Exciting — Ron Bierman listens to Musorgsky, Rachmaninov and Elgar in San Diego

Ensemble. A Generally Engaging Performance — Mike Wheeler listens to Elgar, Rachmaninov, Debussy and Dvořák in Derby Cathedral

Classical music news. New Releases for April 2024 and Later — Browse a selection of new recordings

Ensemble. Radically New for Western Audiences — Adam J Sacks reports from the Hong Kong Arts Festival

Ensemble. Little Short of Miraculous — Mike Wheeler is impressed by Hanni Liang's pianism, but reports that some audience members were unhappy with her recital's lecture element

Classical music news. April 2024 Newsletter — Our April 2024 PDF newsletter has just been published, featuring some music festivals around the world this year

Classical music news. Del Mar-a-Lago Festival — Here are further details about the contemporary music festival mentioned in our April newsletter

Spotlight. Exquisitely Descriptive Music — Gerald Fenech warmly recommends harpsichord music by Pierre-Claude Foucquet. 'It's a joy for a lifetime.'

Classical music news. Obituary — Ian Keith Harris (1935-2024)

Classical music news. Obituary — Christopher T Montgomery (1931-2024)

Ensemble. An Evening of Vocal Distinction — Roderic Dunnett reports on Massenet's 'Cendrillon' from the UK's Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Ensemble. A Remarkable Concentrated Stillness — Mike Wheeler reviews a restrained but purposeful account of J S Bach's St John Passion

Spotlight. Compelling Throughout — Gerald Fenech warmly recommends Karl Jenkins' 'The Armed Man'. '... the performance is one of the most moving I've heard in recent times ...'

Profile. To Vladivostok With Thanks — Memories of the Russian pianist and teacher Vadim Suchanov (1949-2024) from Béla Hartmann

Ensemble. A Particular Delight — Mike Wheeler listens to the Aquinas Trio

Spotlight. An Original Voice — Geoff Pearce listens to Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache conducting Franck and Debussy. '... something very special indeed.'

Spotlight. Imagination, Humour and Depth — Gerald Fenech listens to oboe concertos by eighteenth century German composer Ludwig August Lebrun. 'Nancy Ambrose King's flawless technique allows the music to flow with a strong sense of drama ...'

Classical music news. Edo de Waart — The Dutch conductor retires at eighty-two

Classical music news. Behind the Scenes — A recent article alleges a bad working atmosphere and more at the New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Spotlight. A Real Find — Geoff Pearce urges you to listen to this recording of Tippett's 'A Child of Our Time'. '... something very special indeed.'

Spotlight. Mysteriously Fascinating — Gerald Fenech wholeheartedly recommends orchestral music by Béla Bartók. 'The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra plays flawlessly throughout.'

Spotlight. Surprisingly Excellent — Gerald Fenech recommends music by Martucci. '... Martucci's music is so well crafted with an abundant spring of melody that one never tires of listening to it.'

Spotlight. An Immediate Impact — Geoff Pearce listens to Pärt and Shostakovich. '... something very special indeed.'

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 ...'

Tailleferre — A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae

Spotlight. Joyously Sparkling — Gerald Fenech listens to Sibylle Mahni play Mozart's horn concertos. 'There are recorded versions of these works aplenty, but this Prospero issue can certainly hold its ground with some of the best available at the moment.'

Spotlight. Delightful and Skilfully Crafted — Geoff Pearce listens to oboe concertos by Hertel. 'Oboist Katarzyna Pilipiuk is superb. She produces a pleasing tone, is precise in her fingerwork and has marvellous intonation.'

Classical music news. Obituary — Andrew Davis (1944-2024)

Spotlight. Vibrantly Recommended — Gerald Fenech listens to music by Enescu. '... these performances are as dynamically dazzling as they are irrepressibly exciting and incandescent.'

Spotlight. Fresh and Interesting — Geoff Pearce listens to chamber music by British composer Kenneth V Jones. '... a valuable discovery.'

Spotlight. Harmonically Exotic — Gerald Fenech finds a new recording of Delius' Hassan absolutely riveting. '... these performances are as dynamically dazzling as they are irrepressibly exciting and incandescent.'

Classical music news. Toradze International Music Festival — The Toradze Foundation presents the second edition of its music festival in the Georgian capital Tbilisi

Classical music news. The Greatest Fugue — American composer Elliott Sharp's new opera, 'Die Grösste Fuge' is to receive its first USA performance in English

Classical music news. Martijn Dendievel — A young Flemish conductor has been appointed as the new chief conductor of Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen

Classical music news. Albany Records — Parma Recordings acquires the American classical label Albany Records

Classical music news - April 2024 Obituaries — Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Classical music news. May 2024 Newsletter — Watch and listen to our May 2024 one hour video newsletter - Improvisation in the classical world and beyond

Ensemble. A Huge Dynamic Range — Mike Wheeler listens to Maria Ioudenitch, Stanislav Kochanovsky and the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra

Ensemble. Impressive Emotional Depth — Ron Bierman experiences an almost excellent performance of Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly'

 

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ALL ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR (2023)