Classical music daily - Music and Vision - the world's first daily classical music magazine
Monday 2 March 2015

Christina McMaster  James MacMillan: Visions of a November Spring. Edinburgh Quartet. © 2014 Delphian Records Ltd  Brahms in 1853  Alice McVeigh  Mikhail Petrenko and Nadja Michael in Bartók's 'Bluebeard's Castle' at New York Metropolitan Opera. Photo © 2015 Marty Sohl  Vivaldi: Concerti per flauto - Maurice Steger. © 2014 harmonia mundi sa  Andrzej Koszewski (1922-2015)

                

 

Featured Today RSS

* Ensemble. Wonderfully Airborne - Christina McMaster plays Debussy, McKenzie, Crawford Seeger, Ives and Beethoven, and impresses Mike Wheeler

* Anniversaries: John Gardner; Bedrich Smetana

* Today's concerts: Tippett Quartet - Mozart, McCabe and Schubert; Bedfordshire, UK; Cracow Duo's New York City debut at Carnegie Hall; New York, US

* Festivals, competitions and masterclasses: Hong Kong Arts Festival (27 February - 29 March); Hong Kong, CN; Warren Jones Vocal Masterclass; New York, US; Bermuda Festival (23 January - 8 March); Hamilton, BM

Recent Articles

CD Spotlight. Stunning Works - Music for string quartet by James MacMillan, recommended by Andrew Schartmann. '... expressive, virtuosic, and replete with subtle hues.'

Young Genius - George Colerick investigates the emotional life of Johannes Brahms in his twenties

Ask Alice - A letter to Martin, upon his joining Facebook, from classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh

Ensemble. A Thought Provoking Combination - Iolanta and Bluebeard in high definition from New York, reviewed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Particularly Enticing - Antonio Vivaldi flute concerti, recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Steger is a likeable exponent ...'

Classical music news - Andrzej Koszewski (1922-2015); Désiré Dondeyne (1921-2015); Anne Naysmith (1937-2015); Marvin David Levy (1932-2015); more ...

Ensemble. Skillfully Adapted - Gluck's 'Orfeo e Euridice' in Palermo, in the Berlioz version, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

DVD Spotlight. Double Murder - Richard Strauss's 'Elektra', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... the whole cast has been exemplary under the masterful direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen.'

Ensemble. Generous Spirit - Grieg, Tchaikovsky and Nielsen from Katherine Watson, Gary Griffiths, Jian Wang, Nikolaj Znaider and the Hallé Orchestra, enjoyed by Mike Wheeler

Reader comment - An alternative viewpoint on Offenbach's 'The Tales of Hoffmann', live in HD from New York

Ensemble. Romantic Premonitions - Bellini's 'I Puritani', enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Beautifully Managed - Music for Lent and Easter impresses Howard Smith. '... excellent musical standards and high technical achievements ...'

Ensemble. A Wonderful Performance - Offenbach's 'The Tales of Hoffmann', live in HD from New York, impresses Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Real Joy - 'Le Ventre de Paris', praised by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Sublime Beauty - Choral music by Herbert Howells, recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... glorious choral textures ...'

Classical music news - John McCabe (1939-2015); more ...

A Fabulous Concert - Rachel Barton Pine's solo Paganini impresses Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Soundly Constructed - Orchestral music by Barbara Harbach, heard by Howard Smith. '... the LPO is wholly admirable in this music ...'

Ensemble. An Unusual Reading - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences an icy Paris/Milan production of Monteverdi's 'L'incoronazione di Poppea'

CD Spotlight. Appropriate Innocence - Spanish song, familiar and unfamiliar, heard by Paul Sarcich. 'High quality work all round.'

Classical music news - Odyssey releases; Joseph Alfidi (1949-2015); more ...

Ensemble. Vigour and Freshness - Clarinettist Julian Bliss joins Andrew Gourlay and Sinfonia Viva, enjoyed by Mike Wheeler

CD Spotlight. Early Genius - Orchestral works by the young Bartók, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... performances are consistently exciting ...'

Classical music news - ClassicsOnline HD.LL; more ...

Ensemble. A Triumph - Hans Werner Henze's love for Italy, and 'Gisella!' in Palermo, by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Pleasing Throughout - Poulenc ballet suites for piano, heard by Howard Smith. '... clearly at ease with Poulenc's soft-core tonality ...'

Ensemble. Modest Forces? - Keith Bramich listens to the first performance by a young conductor and his new orchestra

CD Spotlight. Brassy Fireworks - Music by John Pickard, heard by Andrew Schartmann. '... a thrilling listening experience.'

Classical music news - February 2015 Newsletter (PDF, 420kb); Aldo Ciccolini (1925-2015); Classical Traditions; Elim Chan; Lawrence Gushee (1931-2015); more ...

Ensemble. Winning Flexibility - A recital by Agnieszka Kozlowska and Beate Toyka, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

A Good Fit - Dénes Várjon's Nottingham piano recital, praised by Mike Wheeler

Classical music news - Israel Yinon (1956-2015); more ...

Classical music news - Grigory Sokolov; Frank Glazer (1915-2015); Elena Obraztsova (1939-2015); more ...

  
Music's Delight - Ensemble and orchestra scores of the pre-classical period

Sponsored Features

James Brawn in Recital. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Bach-Busoni; Liszt; Rachmaninov. © 2013 MSR ClassicsCD Spotlight. True Command - James Brawn plays Bach, Liszt, Musorgsky and Rachmaninov - recommended by Andrew Schartmann. 'The "Promenade" ... is like butter in Brawn's hands.'

Jack Liebeck. Photo © 2014 Phillip CohenEnsemble. Melting Rhapsody - Malcolm Miller enjoys Jack Liebeck and Danny Driver's 'Hebrew Melody' recital, plus a recital by David Aaron Carpenter

Roberta Stephen. Photo courtesy of the Canadian Music CentreAn Integral Part - Lindsey Wallis looks forward to the Canadian Music Centre's tribute concert to composer Roberta Stephen

A Beethoven Odyssey, Volume 3 - James Brawn. © 2014 MSR ClassicsCD Spotlight. Masterful Handling - Volume 3 of James Brawn's Beethoven, praised by Andrew Schartmann. '... his interpretive choices are exquisite.'

A Beethoven Odyssey, Volume 2 - James Brawn. © 2013 MSR ClassicsCD Spotlight. Perfect Indeed - More Beethoven from James Brawn, recommended by Andrew Schartmann. '... a profound - almost spiritual - connection to the music ...'

A Beethoven Odyssey, Volume I - James Brawn. © 2013 MSR ClassicsCD Spotlight. Masterfully Controlled - James Brawn's Beethoven Odyssey impresses Andrew Schartmann. '... the movement bubbles over with excitement ...'

A Tale of Two Cellos - Julian and Jiaxin Lloyd WebberCD Spotlight. Uncommon Piquancy - Music for two cellos, heard by Howard Smith. '... riveting effect.'

Louise Talma (1906-1996)Letter to Louise Talma (Never Sent) - by Jenna Orkin

Sybil Michelow (1925-2013)Think of Something Beautiful - Malcolm Miller pays tribute to contralto Sybil Michelow (1925-2013)

Charles Gounod: Roméo et Juliette. © 2011 Bel Air MediaDVD Spotlight. Olympic Scale - Charles Gounod's 'Roméo et Juliette', reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'Musically the performance deserves all the applause it gets.'

John Joubert: String Quartets 1, 2, 3. Brodsky Quartet. © 2012 Somm RecordingsCD Spotlight. A Fascinating Recording - John Joubert's string quartets, heard by Alice McVeigh. 'The Brodskys throw themselves into the lament for Shostakovich ...'

Orrett Rhoden performs works for piano by Galuppi, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, Ravel and Rhoden / Bob Marley. © 2011 Dexter RecordingsCD Spotlight. Most Remarkable - Jamaican pianist Orrett Rhoden, heard by Bill Newman. '... one of the finest on disc ...'

Howells: Requiem; Take him, earth, for cherishing. Choir of Trinity College Cambridge / Stephen Layton. © 2012 Hyperion Records LtdCD Spotlight. Beautifully Apt - Choral music by Herbert Howells, heard by Robert Anderson. '... Howells at his finest.'

Anna Netrebko in Massenet's 'Manon' at New York Metropolitan Opera. Photo © 2012 Ken HowardVocal Glory - Massenet's 'Manon' in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Rorianne Schrade. Photo © Christian SteinerAn Outstanding Evening - Bill Newman listens to American pianist Rorianne Schrade

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