Featured today
Ensemble. Plenty of Vigour and Panache — Mike Wheeler reacts to music by Holst, Andrew Carter, Moses Hogan and John Rutter
Twenty-five years ago today
Pianos and Pianists - Jan Ladislav Dussek - Bohemian Romantic (published 7 May 1999)
Twenty years ago today
Ask Alice — On viola jokes and the eating of dogs, with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh (published 7 May 2004)
Anniversaries
Mozart: Don Giovanni (1788); Niccolò Piccinni (1800); Leopold Kozeluh (1818); Antonio Salieri (1825); Johannes Brahms (1833); Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840); Marcel Poot (1901); José Antonio Abreu (1939); Robert Spano (1961); Maria Radner (1981); Monica Sinclair (2002); Xavier Montsalvatge (2002); George Christie (2014); Roman Toi (2018); Georg Katzer (2019); Grace Bumbry (2023); Soňa Červená (2023); Seán Keane (2023)
Today's background image
Derived from a 2009 photograph of Derby Cathedral
Recent Articles
Spotlight. Microtonal Connections — Keith Bramich listens to the Auerbach-Pierce Duo. '... nearly an hour of intriguing, sensitively played music.'
Spotlight. Expansion of Life — Gerald Fenech listens to three works by Carl Nielsen. '... performances of the utmost precision and potent perceptiveness ...'
Ensemble. Birthday Boys — Mike Wheeler reports from a celebratory Sitwell Singers concert featuring Bruckner and Cornelius
Ensemble. Impressive Emotional Depth — Ron Bierman experiences an almost excellent performance of Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly'
Ensemble. A Huge Dynamic Range — Mike Wheeler listens to Maria Ioudenitch, Stanislav Kochanovsky and the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical music news. May 2024 Newsletter — Watch and listen to our May 2024 one hour video newsletter - Improvisation in the classical world and beyond
Classical music news - April 2024 Obituaries — Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
Classical music news. Albany Records — Parma Recordings acquires the American classical label Albany Records
Classical music news. Martijn Dendievel — A young Flemish conductor has been appointed as the new chief conductor of Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen
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. Toradze International Music Festival — The Toradze Foundation presents the second edition of its music festival in the Georgian capital Tbilisi
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.'
Spotlight. Fresh and Interesting — Geoff Pearce listens to chamber music by British composer Kenneth V Jones. '... a valuable discovery.'
Spotlight. Vibrantly Recommended — Gerald Fenech listens to music by Enescu. '... these performances are as dynamically dazzling as they are irrepressibly exciting and incandescent.'
Classical music news. Obituary — Andrew Davis (1944-2024)
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.'
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.'
Tailleferre — A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae
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 ...'
Spotlight. An Immediate Impact — Geoff Pearce listens to Pärt and Shostakovich. '... something very special indeed.'
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. Mysteriously Fascinating — Gerald Fenech wholeheartedly recommends orchestral music by Béla Bartók. 'The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra plays flawlessly throughout.'
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.'
Classical music news. Behind the Scenes — A recent article alleges a bad working atmosphere and more at the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical music news. Edo de Waart — The Dutch conductor retires at eighty-two
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 ...'
Spotlight. An Original Voice — Geoff Pearce listens to Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache conducting Franck and Debussy. '... something very special indeed.'
Ensemble. A Particular Delight — Mike Wheeler listens to the Aquinas Trio
Profile. To Vladivostok With Thanks — Memories of the Russian pianist and teacher Vadim Suchanov (1949-2024) from Béla Hartmann
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 ...'
Ensemble. A Remarkable Concentrated Stillness — Mike Wheeler reviews a restrained but purposeful account of J S Bach's St John Passion
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