BREAKING NEWS: Classical Music

Learning Something New From Your Kid About Your Favorite Music

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 12:15:00 +0000

“Watching someone you love enjoy something has a way of dispelling snobbery.” – Los Angeles Times

Classical music news - Classical:Next 2025

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

A large international conference for classical music professionals takes place in Berlin in May 2025

2024: A year in concert reviews, astonishing youth, late-romantic rarities, riveting symphonic theatre

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 08:25:23 +0000

Janine Jansen, Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky - Le Piano Symphonique, Lucerne (Photo: Philipp Schmidli, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester)

Baroque music featured highly this year, Lawrence Cummings and the AAM used just eight singers for their moving version of Bach's St Matthew Passion and equally life-enhancing was Bach's Brandenburg Concertos from the OAE. We heard Handel's original version of Esther from Solomon's Knot, who also popped up in Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610, one of a pair of contrasting performances of this work, the other by from the ever admirable Sixteen. There was more Handel at the Wimbledon Festival with Benjamin Hulett and Helen Charlston in Jephtha. I Fagiolini took us to 17th century Venice for glorious multi-choir music by Benevoli.

Thanks to baritone Florian Störtz and pianist Aleksandra Myslek I finally got to hear a goodly selection of songs by Robert Kahn, whose music was forbidden by the Nazis and who was forced to flee to England in his 70s, whilst tenor Laurence Kilsby and pianist Ella O'Neill took us on a journey of remarkable emotional depth.

At Le Piano Symphonique in Lucerne, Martha Argerich and two friends created a little bit of magic in an evening that moved through from large-scale Liszt and Grieg to poetic intimacy.

There were rarities. At the Proms, Benjamin Grosvenor, Edward Gardner and the LPO turned Busoni's Piano Concerto into riveting symphonic theatre whilst Andras Schiff and the OAE brought their Mendelssohn festival to a close with his rarely performed symphony-cantata Lobesgesang. And a real rarity, impressively tackled by the North London Chorus was Ethel Smyth's late work, The Prison. And on a different scale, pianist Simon Callaghan tackled Cyril Scott's unjustly neglected Piano Sonata.

In contemporary music, the National Youth Orchestra and National Youth Brass Band combined forces for Gavin Higgins's epic Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Orchestra, whilst horn player Ben Goldscheider joined forces with Britten Sinfonia for the premiere of Huw Watkins' Horn Concerto.

Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Queen Elizabeth Hall

The Dunedin Consort at Wigmore Hall: Caroline Shaw premiered alongside rare Stradella and Christmas Corelli

The premiere of a fascinating new Caroline Shaw piece that explodes Thomas Hardy's Darkling Thrush at the centre of a concert that placed the Shepherds and Winter at the centre of a wonderfully engaging and imaginative programme.

The songs of Robert Kahn: Florian Störtz and Aleksandra Myslek reveal some of the gems to be found in the output of a relatively forgotten composer forced into exile by the Nazis

Forbidden by the Nazis and forced to feel to England in his 70s, the music of Robert Kahn has remained somewhat undervalued and here we were treated to a rich exploration of his song output alongside music of his contemporaries and influences

Life enhancing: the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in Bach's Brandenburg Concertos

The Brandenburg Concertos complete, vivid, vibrant and sometimes a little raw, the sheer energy, enthusiasm and technical nous really carrying you away

Powerful intensity and youthful vigour: Benjamin Hulett and Helen Charlston in Handel's Jephtha at Wimbledon International Music Festival

A finely satisfying performance from a strong young cast who really lifted Handel and Morell's tragedy off the page

Intimate and communicative: Solomon's Knot brings its distinctive approach to Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 at Wigmore Hall

A chance to hear Monteverdi's vespers in an acoustic bringing out the more intimate qualities, with the highly communicative singers enjoying the more madrigalian elements of the music

Everyone clearly enjoyed themselves and brought the house down: Harry Christophers and The Sixteen in Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 at Temple Church

Technically assured and finely expressive performance that filled the Temple Church with extraordinary richness from bravura moments to intimate magic

A glorious noise: from one to eight choirs in I Fagiolini's evening of music from 17th-century Venice and Rome

Musico-spatial magic as I Fagiolini revive a rare 17th-century mass by Benevoli for four choirs written for St Peter's Basilica in Rome

A journey of remarkable emotional depth: Laurence Kilsby and Ella O'Neill at Wigmore Hall

With a a remarkable combination of confidence and style, the young duo filled the hall with great presence in a thoughtful programme

Prom 23: riveting symphonic theatre from Benjamin Grosvenor, Edward Gardner & London Philharmonic Orchestra in Busoni's Piano Concerto

Problem, what problem. Busoni's mammoth concerto turned into riveting symphonic theatre in what was only the work's second Prom performance after a gap of 36 years!

Telling a story: Solomon's Knot in stylishly vivid form for the Canon's version of Handel's Esther

Solomon's Knot on vibrant and vivid form in a dramatic account of the earliest version of Handel's first oratorio

Lobesgesang: Mendelssohn's rarely performed symphony-cantata is a fine climax to Sir Andras Schiff and the OAE's exploration of the composer's symphonic music

A near ideal performance of the violin concerto followed by an account of Mendelssohn's great symphony-cantata that never compromised the work's idiosyncrasy yet brought out its rich detail and emotionalism

Energy, discipline, control and sheer love of music-making: National Youth Orchestra and National Youth Brass Band in Gavin Higgins, Dani Howard, Prokofiev, Julius Eastman and more

From Julius Eastman's creative provocation in the Clore Ballroom to the stupendous combined brass band and orchestra in Higgins new piece, an astonishing day of music making full of energy, discipline, control and sheer love of music-making

Dramatic Britten, athletic Watkins and high-energy Mozart: Britten Sinfonia, Ben Goldscheider and Nicky Spence at Milton Court

An imaginative and appealing programme centred on Ben Goldscheider's peerless horn-playing with Nicky Spence in fine, story-telling form

Moving intimacy and sense of communication: Bach's St Matthew Passion from the Academy of Ancient Music, music director Laurence Cummings and just eight singers

Just eight soloists and 28 instrumentalists create a sense of intimacy yet profound communication, filling the hall in a way that made the whole a moving experience

Quite an achievement: the North London Chorus' ambition rewarded in a performance of Ethel Smyth's The Prison that intrigued and engaged

A welcome opportunity to hear Ethel Smyth's late work live, in a fine performance which rewarded the choir for its daring in programming The Prison

Something a little bit special: David Butt Philip & friends gala for St Paul's Opera in Clapham

David Butt Philip as Florestan, David Stout as Posa, Rainelle Krause as the Queen of the Night, Alison Langer as Mozart's Countess in vivid gala evening for St Paul's Opera in Clapham

Late romantic at Wigmore Hall: Simon Callaghan in Cyril Scott's sonata

Viewed as ground-breaking by contemporaries, Scott's style languished in the later 20th-century but Simon Callaghan revived the piano sonata in a masterly performance

From poetic Liszt and Grieg concertos to a little bit of magic from Martha Argerich and friends at Le Piano Symphonique in Lucerne

From the poetry of the young Yoav Levanon in Liszt's symphonic concerto and Elisabeth Leonskaya making Grieg her own to sheer magic from just three performers led by Martha Argerich in piano trios by Haydn and Mendelssohn

Gavin Higgins: Concerto for Brass Band and Orchestra - National Youth Orchestra & National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (Photo: Chris Chris Christodoulou)

The Singer Who Takes Inspiration From Sea Shanties

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Carmen Souza, a Cape Verdean musician, realized that certain words she knew from her childhood derived from British sailors and merchants who “came for the cheap labour, goats, donkeys, salt, turtles, amber and archil,” and “built roads and bridges and developed the natural ports.” – BBC

Lonely? Turn To Schubert

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000

“His music speaks to something timeless: the longing for connection, and the pain at not finding it. He gives voice, and then consolation, to that part of us that feels alone in the world even when surrounded by people who care for us.” – The New York Times

Classical music news - Anna Thorvaldsdóttir: Ubique

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The first recording of the Icelandic composer's new fifty-minute chamber work will be released in February 2025

2024: A year in opera reviews, strong individual performances, reinventing classics and historically informed Wagner

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 10:29:59 +0000

Britten: Death in Venice - Antony César (Tadzio), Frederico Saggese (Jaschiu) - Welsh National Opera (Photo Johann Persson)

It was one of those evenings about which you can say 'I was there', Wagner's Die Walküre at Dresden Music Festival as their historically informed Ring Cycle unfolds. And there was something astonishing about Olivia Fuchs' new production of Britten's Death in Venice for Welsh National Opera, too with its combination of theatrical and circus arts.

Strong individual performances were a theme throughout the year. A strong ensemble of singing actors made Welsh National Opera's revival of Puccini's Il Trittico a special treat. Kate Lindsey's emotional roller-coaster performance as both Offreds anchored a strong revival of Poul Ruders' The Handmaid's Tale at English National Opera. Nina Stemme was back on form with a coruscating performance in the title role of Strauss' Elektra at the Royal Opera House.

Stravinsky's Rake's Progress at the Grange Festival made us really care for about the characters, at Opera Holland Park their revival of their 2008 production of Puccini's Tosca took us back to the revolutionary 1960s. The youthful vitality of the cast was compelling in Irish National Opera's production of Vivaldi's L'Olympiade. Opera North's 'in the round' production Britten's Albert Herring was wonderfully involving. And in Zurich, Benjamin Bernheim led a wonderfully memorable account of Massenet's Werther.

Reinventing classics was another theme of the year with Jack Furness' thought-provoking take on Hänsel und Gretel at the Royal Academy of Music, and English Touring Opera gave us a brilliant reinvention of Judith Weir's Blond Eckbert, whilst Glyndebourne's stripped down yet intelligent production of Bizet's Carmen at the BBC Proms was highly satisfying. David McVicar's iconic production of Handel's Giulio Cesare returned to Glyndebourne as vivid and vibrant as ever thanks to a terrific young cast.

Sui generis, professionals & amateurs came together at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre for Jonathan Dove's The Monster in the Maze.

In a year when there was G&S at Opera North, English National Opera and Opera Holland Park, it was Opera North's revival of Ruddigore that stayed in the mind. Still with comedy, Rossini's The Barber of Seville was rather flavour of the Summer with new productions at Opera Holland Park, Waterperry Opera, and West Green House Opera where Victoria Newlyn's new production was a complete delight.

Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel - Zahid Siddiqui (Witch) - Royal Academy Opera (Photo: Craig Fuller)

If you go down to the woods: a gender-fluid witch & an oppressive religious sect in this gripping performance of Jack Furness' intriguing take on Hänsel und Gretel from Royal Academy Opera

A thought-provoking take on the traditional tale made all the more gripping by terrific performances all-round in an evening that was vivid theatrically and strong musically

A terrific achievement: professionals & amateurs come together at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre performing Jonathan Dove's The Monster in the Maze in celebration of Music in the Round at 40

The first UK performance of Dove's community opera since its UK premiere in 2015 in a magnificent celebration Music in the Round's 40th birthday with 'an epic opera for the people of Sheffield and with the people of Sheffield'

An engaging evening of fun demonstrating the very real virtues of Gilbert & Sullivan at its best: Ruddigore at Opera North

Sheer delight from start to finish as a first-rate cast brings out the musical delights and comic potential of one of G&S' finest opera, ensuring we all left the theatre with a smile on our faces

What lies beneath: a brilliant reinvention of Judith Weir's Blond Eckbert at the heart of ETO's exploration of German Romanticism

A modern interpretation of German Romanticism at the centre of this intriguing and thought-provoking programme, full of terrific performances all round

A special treat: strong individual performances & superb ensemble in WNO's revival of Puccini's Il trittico

Partially re-cast, WNO's latest revival of David McVicar's fine production reveals a strong ensemble of singing actors with compelling performances including Natalya Romaniw on top form

Prom 52: Intelligent, vivid account of Bizet's Carmen from Rihab Chaied, Evan LeRoy Johnson & Anja Bihlmaier at Glyndebourne's visit to the BBC Proms

Strong cast, a stripped down yet intelligent production and superb conducting lead to a profoundly involving and musically satisfying performance

Confidence and style: Victoria Newlyn's new production of Rossini's The Barber of Seville at West Green House Opera is a complete delight

Performing the piece with real engagement yet never losing sight of the importance of Rossini's music, the cast really gelled as an ensemble

As vivid and vigorous as ever: David McVicar's production of Handel's Giulio Cesare returns to Glyndebourne with a terrific young cast

Nearly 20 years old, the iconic production returns as vibrant as ever, with superb performances from a young cast

Youthfully engaging: a visually stylish new Rake's Progress at the Grange Festival made us really care for about these characters

A combination of moral directness and engagingly youthful character gave this performance of Stravinsky's opera a particular charm

Back to the 1960s: Opera Holland Park returns to its 2008 production of Tosca and creates a satisfying evening in the theatre

Transposed to the student ferment of Rome in 1968, this revival breathed remarkable life into the concept and showcased a trio of strong performances

Doing Vivaldi proud: his L'Olimpiade performed with verve & imagination by Irish National Opera

The youthful vitality of the cast was compelling in his highly imaginative version of Vivaldi's Olympic opera that managed to mix entertainment with drama in just the right balance, plus stunning playing from the pit

The journey continues: Dresden's historically informed Ring returns with a revelatory Die Walküre

One of those evenings about which you can say 'I was there'. Revelations and riveting drama as the Dresden Music Festival unfolded the next installment of its historically informed Ring Cycle

Something astonishing: Olivia Fuchs' new production of Britten's Death in Venice for Welsh National Opera involved a collaboration with circus arts, NoFit State

Bringing music drama and circus arts together in Britten's last opera to create something unforgettable anchored by Mark Le Brocq's assumption of the title role

As chilling and emotional as ever: Kate Lindsey returns as Offred in ENO's strong revival of Poul Ruders' The Handmaid's Tale

Kate Lindsey's emotional rollercoaster performance anchors a strong revival of Poul Ruders' opera

Back with vengeance: Nina Stemme in Richard Strauss' Elektra at Covent Garden

Nina Stemme back on form with a coruscating performance in the title role in a new production that showcases the vividly dramatic performances from the entire cast supported by the orchestra on top form

Let the dialogue flow: Benjamin Bernheim leads a wonderfully memorable account of Massenet's Werther in Zurich

One of those performances created by people who understood what is needed in Massenet's opera with one of the most finely sung accounts of the title role that I have ever heard. Pure magic

Eavesdropping on their dramas: Opera North's 'in the round' production Britten's Albert Herring

A wonderfully involving revival of Giles Havergal's intimate, in the round production of Britten's comedy brings out the work's humanity

Wagner: Die Walküre - Åsa Jäger, Simon Bailey - Dresdner Musikfestspiele (Photo: Oliver Killig)

Sky Arts shows the constructive chaos behind English National Ballet’s work-in-progress new Nutcracker

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 01:30:43 +0000

Backstage with English National Ballet (Sky Arts, series directed by Zoë Dobson) & English National Ballet’s Nutcracker (directed for TV by Peter Jones): English National Ballet, English National Ballet Philharmonic / Maria Seletskaja (conductor). Filmed at the London Coliseum and first broadcast on Sky Arts on 23.12.2024. (JPr) Last time we watched English National Ballet backstage was ... Read more

A food bank serves as the striking backdrop for Bremen’s La bohème

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 00:10:14 +0000

Puccini, La bohème: Soloists, Chorus and Extras of Theater Bremen, Bremer Philharmoniker / Sasha Yankevych (conductor). Theater Bremen, 23.12.2024. (DM-D) Production: Director – Alize Zandwijk Set and Lighting – Theun Mosk Costumes – Anne Sophie Domenz Chorus and Children’s chorus director – Karl Bernewitz Dramaturgy – Brigitte Heusinger Cast: Mimì – Adèle Lorenzi Rodolfo – ... Read more

Exciting singing and imaginative staging in Hamburg’s vintage La bohème

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 23:49:50 +0000

Puccini, La bohème: Staatsoper Soloists, Chorus, Extra Chorus and Alsterspatzen of Staatsoper Hamburg. Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg / Ramón Tebar (conductor). Staatsoper Hamburg, 17.12.2024. (DM-D) Production: Director – Guy Joosten Set – Johannes Leiacker Costumes – Jorge Jara Lighting – Davy Cunningham Choreography – Andrew George Chorus director – Christian Günther Children and Youth chorus director ... Read more

The KOLA (Keep On Listening Awards) Are Here!!! Enjoy The Best Recordings of 2024!!

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 15:10:55 +0000

KOLA (Keep On Listening Awards) 2024 A Czech Celebration Novák: Concentus Biilugus (for Piano Four-Hands and String Orchestra); Choreae Vernales (for Flute, String Orchestra, Harp and Celesta); Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra. Dora Novak-Wilmington and Karel Košárek (pianos), Clara Nováková (flute), Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tomáš Netopil (cond.) Supraphon Dvořák: Symphony No. 6; Overtures: […]

Classical music news. Obituary

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Colin Tilney (1933-2024)

Liza Lehmann: Cobweb Castle for piano (1908)

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000

For many non-Christians, Christmas represents a cultural festivity rather than a religious one. It is a time for family gatherings, exchanging gifts, feasting, and enjoying the atmosphere of joy and goodwill. It is also about taking a break from everyday routines, enjoying festive decorations, and participating in community traditions. For some, the holiday season is less about belief and more about celebrating togetherness and the end of the year. It might mean something different to each person, but it tends to be a period of giving, reflections, and festive fun.

One pleasure that many indulge in is the pantomime, with productions such as Cinderella, Aladdin and Jack and the Beanstalk. These are all derived from ancient fairy tales from a variety of countries. And then there are the Christmas films, such as It’s a Wonderful Life and Holiday Inn. The ballet is occasionally part of the celebrations, with performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, based on a folk tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Readers, including myself, may turn to the Charles Dickens’s Christmas Tales, including A Christmas Carol, in which people are shown to have a duty to take care of one another, to uphold values of charity, compassion, and forgiveness. We can but try!

All through these ‘secular’ delights is a sense of wonder and magic. Fairy tales vie with religious truths to entertain and inspire us. Liza Lehmann’s delightful piano suite Cobweb Castle (1908) is redolent of cosy nights by the fireside, lost romances and half-remembered, slightly scary, ghost stories. As the imagery of the title implies, these six pieces are frozen in time. Like a lost castle in a dark secret wood, they are just beyond our reach.

Liza Lehmann (1862-1918) was an English soprano and composer, known for her songs. Born in London, she was the daughter of painter Rudolf Lehmann and music teacher Amelia Chambers. After vocal studies with Alberto Randegger and Jenny Lind, and composition studies with Hamish MacCunn, she made her singing debut in 1885. She pursued a concert career for a decade before marrying musician Herbert Bedford in 1894 and focusing on composition. Lehmann wrote songs, children's music, and stage works, including the song cycle In a Persian Garden (1896). She was the first president of the Society of Women Musicians and a professor of singing at the Guildhall School of Music

The Suite opens with the almost impressionistic In the Owl’s Turret, which creates a dreamy mood. The middle section is just that little bit more insistent.

Fly Away, Ladybird is a delightful bit of whimsy. It evokes the fact that her “house is on fire, and your children have flown:” a nursery rhyme text quoted in the score. It is signed to be played ‘leggiero” which suits the mood. There are some lovely arpeggios in the ‘trio’ section.

The inspiration for By the Sundial is surely Sir Edward Elgar. It opens quietly, before the main theme is explored, ‘a little stately.’ There are lots of octave chords in the right hand, with added sixths, giving a rich, romantic feel.

The fourth number, A Legend is a little rondo. Here Lehmann tells her story with slight digressions. There is no suggestion as to what the story might be about, except that it is to be played ‘misterioso.’ It is not a gripping tale, but just a little spooky yarn by the fireside.

Evensong, written in a steady cantabile, may well conjure up a service in a candlelit church, with the organ playing melancholically. Yet, this is more of a nocturnal meditation, rather than liturgical. Once again there are hints of Elgar in these pages.

The finale would appear to be the most difficult movement. My Lady’s Jester requires the soloist to make several well-judged glissandi, to compliment an almost Billy Mayerl-like dance. There is a reflective middle section before concluding with a little bit of musical onomatopoeia with eleven forceful, repeated chords, Ha, Ha, Ha...

The entire suite captures the playful and imaginative essence of a forgotten, imaginary castle, displaying Lehmann's lyrical and evocative style. It is a charming work that highlights her ability to create vivid musical imagery.

The liner notes to the only available recording of Cobweb Castle, explains that Lehmann “always complained that her serious music wasn’t given much consideration.” The author assumes that this suite falls into that category. Strangely, she did not mention it in her memoirs, The Life of Liza Lehmann, by Herself, published posthumously in 1919.

Liza Lehmann’s Cobweb Castle can be heard on YouTube, here. It is played by a gentleman called “Julian.” It comes complete with score. A commercial recording was made by Michael Stairs and was released on the Direct to Tape Recording Company, DTR9701. Other works featured on this CD include Haydn Wood’s Mood Suite, H. Balfour Gardiner’s Five Pieces, Billy Mayerl’s Four Aces Suite, and Autumn Crocus, Hubert Bath’s Cornish Rhapsody, as well as the title track, O Dear! What can the matter be? by Felix Swinstead.

How Lutherans Saved The Organ For (And From) The Reformation

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 19:02:00 +0000

Early on, many in the Protestant movement saw organ music as just another Popish frippery; even Luther disapproved of it at first. He changed his mind, of course, and the presence of the organ in church became a major point of conflict, and even identity, between Lutherans and Calvinists. – History Today

There will never be another! Relive Rudolf Nureyev’s virtuosic talent in his legendary Don Quixote film

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 17:17:40 +0000

The Australian Ballet in Rudolf Nureyev’s Film of Don Quixote: The Australian Ballet, The State Orchestra of Victoria (formerly The Elizabethan Trust Melbourne Orchestra) / John Lanchbery (conductor). Filmed in 1973, restored and remastered in 1999, and currently available on medici.tv. (JPr) In July 2023 as a ‘Special 50th Anniversary Presentation’ Rudolf Nureyev’s famous 1973 ... Read more

Top quality performances and faultless early music style in Archangelo’s The Christmas Story

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:47:23 +0000

Various – The Christmas Story: Arcangelo / Jonathan Cohen (artistic director). Wigmore Hall, London, 15.12.2024. (AK) In spite of some eight decades of listening to music, I came to all the music in Arcangelo’s The Christmas Story with utmost ignorance. Until this concert, I have not heard any of the pieces on the programme. Due ... Read more

Syracuse Opera Files For Liquidation Bankruptcy

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:00 +0000

The company, which canceled all performances and laid off staff last last year, filed earlier this month for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the legal step toward liquidating its assets and closing itself down. – BroadwayWorld

Classical music news - Exile and Return

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The New York Virtuoso Singers presents a seventy-fifth birthday concert for artistic director Harold Rosenbaum

‘We listen to it to remind us of home’: 100 years of the Shipping Forecast

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:00:08 +0000

An enigmatic nautical bulletin that has transmitted across dark waters for a whole century, it has beguiled everyone from Carol Ann Duffy to Blur – and offered a very British comfort to people across the globe

There are warnings of gales. Wintry showers, rain later, moderate or good. The familiar rhythms and cadences of these misty, magical phrases have now been familiar to British islanders for a whole century. They are communicated to us at strange, twilit times, every weekday at 12.48am and 5.20am, with an extra gust of early-evening drama at 5.54am at weekends.

The Shipping Forecast celebrates its 100th year of broadcast on the BBC in 2025, and this New Year’s Day, Radio 4 is going storm-sized in its appreciation. The simple bulletin, issued by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (try reading that without taking on the measured, honeyed tones of a continuity announcer) is the subject of the station’s regular series that day, as well as several special documentaries.

Devils, drunks and divas: Tristram Kenton’s opera pictures of the year

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:00:04 +0000

Our photographer selects his favourite images of the opera productions he has shot in 2024; from Rossini in a deli to an athletic rake

• All pictures: Tristram Kenton for the Guardian

The Zemlinsky-Messiaen connection

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 15:52:29 +0000

Witnessing an excellent concert performance of Zemlinsky's A Florentine Tragedy in Prague in the spring, I was struck, as I commented in my column, by a curious resemblance: the opera's closing gesture is more or less the same as the one that ends Messiaen's "Dieu parmi nous," the final movement of La Nativité du Seigneur. Listening to "Dieu parmi nous" on Christmas Day, as one does, I pondered the putative link again. What happens in both pieces is that a sustained major chord — augmented by a sixth in Messiaen's case — is at once underpinned and undermined by a bass line that begins a major third above the tonic and descends by way of a semitone, a whole tone, and a semitone again. In Zemlinsky, the key is A-flat major, and the bass line is C, B-natural, A-natural, A-flat: In Messiaen, the key is E major and the bass line is G-sharp, G-natural, F-natural, E: Notice a further resemblance: the bass line in each case is doubled at the octave. Zemlinsky has octaves in the trombones and bass tuba and also on the harp. That four-note motif runs all through Zemlinsky's opera and is heard in many different harmonic guises. You glimpse it already at the end of the prelude (B-flat, A, G, G-flat): At the opera's grisly climax, as the husband's murder of a rival makes him once again attractive to his wife, Simone sings, in an A-flat-major context, A-flat / G-natural / F / F-flat, so that the final note is heard as a flattened sixth. Elsewhere it might appear in a minor-key setting, ending on the leading tone. (Which brings D-S-C-H to mind.) Sometimes the four-note motto is stretched outside the major-third gamut; at the beginning of the excerpt above, you hear it first as a whole-tone sequence. Such extraordinarily subtle motivic variations are typical of Zemlinsky's method. In the Messiaen case, the motive is understood in relation to the octatonic scale. That C-sharp ringing over the E-major chord is also from the octatonic gamut. Whether one can analyze Zemlinsky's harmonies along octatonic lines is not something I'm going to hazard off the top of my head, but similar interstitial slitherings can be found in his Second Quartet, among other scores. In both cases, the device is gloriously rich in implication. Against the pure blaze of major, we have a bass line that grates against the prevailing harmony at two crucial points. Zemlinsky makes the effect rather subtle by muting the dynamics on the low instruments. It's more of a shudder amid ecstasy. (Zemlinsky is obviously looking back to Salome's kiss here, but he's not nearly as flamboyant.) Messiaen, on the other hand, marks his bass line quadruple-forte, obviously wanting us to feel those passing dissonances in our gut. In his own performance, he leans on each bass note for a good long while, and other organists draw them out even more. This is dissonance as a maxing-out of joy. I tried playing the sequence on the Disney Hall organ once, and I've never had so much fun in my life. So, is there a conscious or unconscious echo here? I assume not. It's possible that Messiaen knew Zemlinsky's music: Paul Dukas, his teacher, was well versed in the Mahler-Strauss orbit, and Zemlinsky had conducted Dukas's Ariane et Barbe-bleue at the Vienna Volksoper. More likely, though, it's a spooky coincidence of a kind that so often occurs in musical history. What it does show is a likeness between worlds that might seem far separated. I've commented before on Messiaen's seemingly improbable kinship with Richard Strauss; composers like Zemlinsky and Schreker sometimes come even closer. What it also shows is the fertility of Zemlinsky's invention. He has yet to receive anything like his due.

Classical music news - Richard Phillips

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The retired director of the UK's Leamington Music Festival receives a final award

Dieu parmi nous

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:39 +0000

Ensemble. Plenty of Atmosphere

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Mike Wheeler enjoys a Christmas concert given by the Sitwell Singers

A Hans Jürgen von der Wense moment

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 02:46:01 +0000

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:01:00 +0000

A Merry Christmas

To All Readers and Followers of

'The Land of Lost Content'

The Nativity Robert Campin (c.1375-1444)

The Adoration of the Shepherds in the Presence of the Midwives

The Snow in the Street

From far away we come to you.

The snow in the street, and the wind on the door,

To tell of great tidings, strange and true.