Bill Newman
Bill Newman started work at EMI Records during September 1955 in the Classical Promotion Department, at first concerned with processing review requests from the main reviewers among London's National Press. Eventually he made personal contact with chosen critics who helped to correct his English in the writeups he provided following concerts and recitals attended at the Royal Albert and Festival Halls and other locations in Greater London. His critical evaluations eventually carried the day, whereupon various bosses decided to increase his responsibilities to incorporate and extend his artistic knowledge into the preparation of sales leaflets intended to better the coverage of international artists in the standard classical repertoire. Within a short time he was rewarded with the added privilege of deciding the repertoire planning - on a monthly basis - of the newly contracted American Mercury 'Living Presence' label with its revolutionary single microphone recording technique which caught the natural ambiance and musical balance of performers at selected locations. The artists' names now belong to musical history - Antal Dorati, Paul Paray, Howard Hanson and Frederick Fennell. The former's greatest worldwide success was Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture with its added bells, fusilades of cannons creating such an aura of excitement that the disc remained in the musical hit parade for a succession of years as the chosen version. With Newman's associations with some of the pre-eminent musical and recording executives assured, he planned ahead to take on a number of other contracted labels such as Westminster (ABC Paramount), Russian Melodiya and Epic-CBS before departing EMI and joining CBS' new UK setup in the mid 1970s. A further change of scene to Boosey and Hawkes Music Publishers showed greater difficulties in the area of sheet music. Today, his overall knowledge of CDs and the realm of live concerts is constantly sought after by a younger generation eager for help with promotion and recording.
M&V articles about Bill Newman
Beautifully Arranged - 'Antal Doráti and the joy of making music' by Richard Chlupaty, reviewed by Anna L Franco
Admiring colleagues - Martin Jones and Mark Anderson in conversation with Bill Newman
Music & Vision articles by Bill Newman
Bill Newman listens to Aldo Ciccolini
Bill Newman talks to pianist Igor Tchetuev
Bill Newman was at Nettle and Markham's thirtieth anniversary recital
Bill Newman reviews two recitals by pianist Igor Tchetuev
Lilya Zilberstein's recital at London's Wigmore Hall
Bill Newman listens to pianist Alexander Romanovsky
A recital by Australian pianist Jayson Gillham
Alessandro Taverna at London's Steinway Hall
A lunchtime piano recital by Maiko Mori
Tessa Uys at London's Wigmore Hall
A recital by Bálint Székely and Mariko Kondo
The Belcea Quartet plays Schubert and Beethoven
Young Concert Artists Trust recitals
A Bernard Stevens celebration at London's Wigmore Hall
The Artemis Quartet plays music by Beethoven, Stravinsky and Schubert
Quatuor Ebène plays Haydn, Webern and Schubert
Emanuel Ax plays Beethoven and Schumann, and
Valeriy Sokolov and Eric Ferrand-N'Kaoua play Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Enescu and Prokofiev
Bill Newman listens to the Razumovsky Ensemble
Nikolai Demidenko plays Chopin
Chamber music at London's Wigmore Hall
Alex Kobrin plays Haydn, Beethoven and Chopin
Bill Newman listens to Mayuko Katsumura and Gordon Back
Eduardo Monteiro plays piano music from Brazil
Brazilian Eduardo Monteiro plays at Wigmore Hall and talks to Bill Newman about his varied musical life
A spring remembrance concert for the Armenian victims of 1915
Martino Tirimo's final 2006 Mozart recital
Martino Tirimo plays Mozart
The Rosamunde Trio plays Dvorák, Fribbins and Beethoven
Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung play Schubert, Ravel and Stravinsky
Recitals by Denitsa Laffchieva and Evelina Puzaite
Susan Milan at London's Wigmore Hall
More reviews from London's Wigmore Hall
Regrets and remedies, the Wigmore way
Sequeira Costa plays Chopin
Robin Zebaida plays piano rarities. '... musical appeal is immediate.'
Martino Tirimo celebrates Mozart's 250th Anniversary. '... outstanding performances.' [listen]
Martino Tirimo's Mozart from Cadogan Hall
A meeting with Gisela Doráti, better known as 'Gizi'
Bill Newman recalls the affection he felt for the great Hungarian conductor-composer Antal Doráti, who would have been 100 years old today
Tonina Doráti and opera production, as explained to Bill Newman
Bill Newman talks to British pianist Mark Bebbington
Bill Newman reports on the 250th anniversary
Celebrating the tenth series of live music at London's Wallace Collection
Two young pianists of outstanding promise
Oleh Krysa and Tatiana Tchekina at London's Wigmore Hall
Mûza Rubackyté in recital, and on disc
Maurice Hasson's 70th birthday recital with Gabriela Montero was a notable 2005 Wigmore Hall event for Bill Newman
Comparing two piano trios on the same day
Bill Newman at a concert by the London Chamber Music Group
Bill Newman attends three events given by young musicians
A portrait of pianist Clara Rodriguez
A portrait of piano duettists Isabel Beyer and Harvey Dagul
Remembering Sir John and others. Bill Newman visits Lady Evelyn Barbirolli
A portrait of the Greek-born pianist Eugenia Papadimas
Piano 40's eighth London concert
Bill Newman wishes Colin Bradbury many happy returns on the occasion of the clarinettist's seventieth birthday
Swiss ambassadors, a Bulgarian pianist and a marketing project
Finnish pianist Risto Lauriala talks to Bill Newman
The piano scene, and a young musical stylist in the making
Mei Yi Foo at Steinway Hall
Bill Newman listens to the Rosamunde Trio
Bill Newman talks to Jeremy Backhouse, Director of the Vasari Singers
Bill Newman visits pianist Ilse von Alpenheim at her home in Switzerland
Pianist Danny Driver talks to Bill Newman
Bill Newman enjoys an evening's entertainment by Piano 40 at London's Purcell Room, Wednesday 5 February 2003
Bill Newman talks to Igor Oistrakh as the 50th anniversary of the violinist's UK début approaches
Martino Tirimo at London's Wigmore Hall, prefaced by other thoughts from Bill Newman
Martino Tirimo discusses the piano and its music
And your compere is Paula Robison! Bill Newman talks to the American flautist, campaigner and announcer of the Spoleto Festival's mid-day concerts
Bill Newman listens to Yoo Na Noh
music all the time. Bill Newman becomes reacquainted with young French cellist Gautier Capuçon
In virtuoso manner. Alice Neary and Gretel Dowdeswell at London's Wigmore Hall
Gwydion Brooke. Bill Newman looks back at undeservedly neglected musicians.
Basil Cameron. Bill Newman looks back at undeservedly neglected musicians.
In affectionate memory of Igor Kipnis, close friend and musical collaborator
Richard Hickox talks to Bill Newman at the 2001 Spoleto Festival
Bill Newman has been to the 2001 Spoleto Festival and reports on his impressions of the surroundings, local artists and international music-making. 1. Praeludium.
a select overview of major Bruckner Symphonies and interpreters on disc (with special reference to a rare recording by Rudolf Kempe) (continued from last week)
a select overview of major Bruckner Symphonies and interpreters on disc (with special reference to a rare recording by Rudolf Kempe) (continued from July)
a select overview of major Bruckner Symphonies and interpreters on disc (with special reference to a rare recording by Rudolf Kempe) (continued from last week)
a select overview of major Bruckner Symphonies and interpreters on disc (with special reference to a rare recording by Rudolf Kempe) (continued from last week)
a select overview of major Bruckner Symphonies and interpreters on disc (with special reference to a rare recording by Rudolf Kempe)
Bill Newman in conversation with Petr Altrichter (concluded from last week)
Bill Newman in conversation with Petr Altrichter (continued from last week)
Trawling for treasure. Bill Newman seeks out Golden Age performers now reinstated on CD. Sviatoslav Richter on BBC Legends
Trawling for treasure. Bill Newman seeks out Golden Age performers now reinstated on CD. Annie Fischer, Menuhin and Rostropovich on BBC Legends
Bill Newman in conversation with Petr Altrichter
A personal tribute (concluded from last week)
A personal tribute (continued from last week)
Trawling for treasure. Bill Newman seeks out Golden Age performers now reinstated on CD. Michelangeli, Toscanini and Barbirolli on BBC Legends
A personal tribute
Trawling for treasure. Bill Newman seeks out Golden Age performers now reinstated on CD. BBC Legends and Beecham
Trawling for treasure. Dennis Brain on BBC Legends
Elly Ney, William Primrose and the two Syds
Faust, Iona Brown and Percy Grainger
Voormolen and Kodály
Five weeks condensed into three (concluded from last week)
Five weeks condensed into three (continued from last week)
Five weeks condensed into three, including 'Light shining through' - an interview with Yaara Tal
Busoni, Glazunov, Barber and Hanson
A paean of rejoicing. '... a sunburst carrying the listener forward and upwards to new quests of achievement.' Bax's Fifth Symphony
A thing of beauty. '... David Lloyd-Jones and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra spontaneously reach new poetic-dramatic heights ...' Bax's Third Symphony
Stefan Jess and Barbara Moser; Louis Lortie and George Pehlivanian
Beauteous imagery. 'Mobius has been going from success to success since 1995.' Mobius play Bax
Bruch rarities. '... the orchestral accompaniment transcends the accepted harmonic idiom, interspersed with Elizabeth Whitehouse's serene arias ...' Should we allow biased opinions to sway musical judgement?
Death be not proud. 'A quite wonderful CD of a composer and his music that should be at the forefront of live concert activities.' The music of Andrew Imbrie, by a devoted admirer, Bill Newman
Steven Wray and Sam Haywood
Evgeny Soifertis and John Bingham
Piano exotica - '... marvellously controlled rhythms, touch and stylistic finess.' Martin Jones plays Spanish piano music. With Bill Newman
Global Fascinations and Sophistications - Annie Fischer, Luiza Borac, Anne Kaasa and Lukás Vondrácek
Proud defiance - '... a marvellous sense of immediacy ...' - Bill Newman discusses a new recording of Prokofiev's 'War and Peace'
Martin Jones and Mark Anderson in conversation
Martin Jones and Mark Anderson in conversation (continued from last week)
Martin Jones and Mark Anderson in conversation (concluded from last week)
Bill Newman reads 'Eric Leinsdorf on Music'
Global Fascinations and Sophistications - Chopin Mazurkas, Hummel piano music, Charles Koechlin and Kenneth Leighton
The Menotti Interview (concluded from last week)
The Menotti Interview
Global Fascinations and Sophistications - Schubert's piano works for four hands, Liszt transcriptions, and the piano music of Nikolai Kapustin and Alfredo Casella
Bill Newman pays a tail-end visit to the Italian festival's 42nd season
Here lies the essence of rediscovery. '... fresh and stimulating ... musical pointers come alive as they occur ...' Symphonies Nos 3 and 4 by Joachim Raff
Global Fascinations and Sophistications - Emma Johnson; Martinu string quartets
Rare Vaughan Williams. 'All involved in this performance plunge merrily into the fray like persons possessed.' Hilary Davan Wetton's performances of the 'Tudor Portraits' and 'Mystical Songs'
Bill Newman talks to Hilary Davan Wetton (continued from last week)
Bill Newman talks to Hilary Davan Wetton (continued from last week)
Bill Newman talks to Hilary Davan Wetton
Global Fascinations and Sophistications - Che Originali! and Triumphal Music for Organ & Orchestra
Bill Newman talks to British clarinettist Emma Johnson (concluded from last week)
Bill Newman talks to British clarinettist Emma Johnson (continued from last week)
The essential Emma Johnson. '... beautifully expressed in the highest musical terms ...'
Global Fascinations and Sophistications - Bill Newman continues his series
Bill Newman talks to British clarinettist Emma Johnson
'A "dream" performance, magical, sensuous, dramatic in turn, marvellously controlled during every gear change.' Admiring Suk's use of the orchestra -
Resplendent Imagery. '...this whole CD does the greatest honour to a sadly neglected genius.' Bill Newman discusses the orchestral music of Víteslav Novák.
Libor Pesek in conversation (continued from last week)
Libor Pesek in conversation
John Lubbock talks to Bill Newman (continued from last week)
John Lubbock talks to Bill Newman
French bonbons - things of the past? Bill Newman listens to Yan Pascal Tortelier conducting the BBC Philharmonic.
Indelible visions of a troubled world. Bill Newman discusses the Emersons' new recording of the complete Shostakovich works for string quartet (part 3)
Indelible visions of a troubled world. Bill Newman discusses the Emersons' new recording of the complete Shostakovich works for string quartet (part 2)
Indelible visions of a troubled world. Bill Newman discusses the Emersons' new recording of the complete Shostakovich works for string quartet
Oboist Stella Dickinson talks to Bill Newman (continued from last week)
Love's Lore - Bill Newman enthuses over new folk song settings
The Emerson Quartet talk to Bill Newman (concluded)
The Emerson Quartet talk to Bill Newman (continued)
The Emerson Quartet talk to Bill Newman (continued)
The Emerson Quartet talk to Bill Newman
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