Friday, January 09, 2015

Je suis Charlie

http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/charlie-hebdo-barber-adagio-london/

This took place in London in tribute to the Paris murders of the Charlie Hebdo journalists and artists. I am away, but feel there in spirit. Watch the complete Barber Adagio played by 150 musicians in Trafalgar Square via the Classic FM link above.

Thursday, January 08, 2015

Perturbed by Poppies

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/tom-piper-and-orfeo-from-poppies-to-opera-9961278.html
My interview with theatre designer Tom Piper from yesterday's Independent. The man behind the Poppies at the Tower is now doing Monteverdi's Orfeo at Covent Garden/The Roundhouse, but he had quite a few things to say about commemorations, crowds and critics. It made the News page.

Sunday, January 04, 2015

Benjamin Grosvenor plays a very special piece...

Sinfini has just released this gorgeous video of Benjamin Grosvenor, that golden boy of British pianists, playing Granados's 'The Maiden and the Nightingale'. This piece is a big favourite of mine thanks to its presence in the Alicia's Gift concert; it used to be a staple recital item, but fell oddly out of favour somewhere between the early 1980s and wherever we are now. Lovely to see it coming back. Enjoy.



Over at Sinfini, I've provided an introduction to Benjamin, the piece and the performance, which took place at Leighton House.


Saturday, January 03, 2015

MOZART

I'm doing a pre-concert talk at the Wigmore Hall on 26 January about three of Mozart's greatest string quartets, the last half of the six he dedicated to Haydn, which the Hagen Quartet will be performing that night. I've been swotting. And it's heaven.

If you listen to only one piece today, make it this: the slow movement of the C major Quartet K465, the 'Dissonance'. Here's the Ebène Quartet playing it. I find it deeply saddening that there are thousands, millions, of people in western 'democracies' who will go through their entire lives without hearing music of such phenomenal beauty because they've been taught to imagine that it is 'not for them'.

If you have never heard this piece before, I hope your day is lit from within by it. And if you know it well - likewise. Then please sit one person down and get them to listen to it too.






Thursday, January 01, 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR!



A very happy new year 2015 to all our readers and friends everywhere in the world! 
With love from London.