The last few months have been all-consuming, what with the usual end-of-term workload, but when it was finally over, I decided to take an early summer holiday to recharge and revisit old haunts. Over thirty years ago, I visited Hungary to do some research for what I thought was to be my Master’s degree project…
Tag: musicians
Martha Argerich – An extended interview
The following 55-minute interview was filmed in 2021 in Hamburg, Germany, to celebrate Martha Argerich’s 80th Anniversary, but it was published more recently by Paramax Films and produced by Christophe Boula. The interviewer, Daniel Kühnel, is the Artistic Director of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and he established the Martha Argerich Festival in Hamburg in 2018….
Ferruccio Busoni: 100th Year Anniversary
Today we celebrate the anniversary of the death of Italian pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni, who died on July 27th, 1924. Busoni is frequently considered an enigma, a composer whose work largely consists of transcriptions conceived in what is perceived today as an ‘old-fashioned’ style. But the historical importance of the pianist and composer is…
The Solomon Piano Quintet at Steiner Hall
If you’re a chamber music fan – and it’s hard not to be with such fantastic repertoire on offer – you might be interested in this forthcoming concert to be held at Rudolf Steiner House in London, which is situated near Baker Street. Steiner Hall hosts an International Concert Series presenting many renowned artists, and…
Micro-Lectures by Boris Giltburg
I’m pleased to feature the first of several ‘micro-lectures’ recorded by Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg. According to Giltburg, the videos will focus on musical or technical questions relating to various pieces. Each lasting just a few minutes, they have been recorded by Louisiana Music at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. I chatted to Giltburg…
David Bowie meets Minimalism
The recent tragic death of David Bowie (1947 – 2016) has further highlighted the legendary genius of his music and his persona. To mark his death, I’m featuring the following interview with American Minimalist composer Philip Glass, with whom he collaborated. Symphony No. 1 “Low”, also known as the “Low” Symphony is a work by…
Words and Music with Lucy Parham and Friends
British concert pianist Lucy Parham came to prominence when she won the piano final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1984. She has since played with many of the world’s finest orchestras and conductors. More recently, she has become synonymous with performances of Words and Music. Lucy teams up with eminent actors and…
32 Pianists perform 32 Beethoven Sonatas
Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas represent the composer’s life journey, both as a composer and human being. From the early sonatas, which are stylistically akin to those of Mozart or Haydn, through to the final six, which are amongst the most sublime works ever written for the instrument. They are often performed as a complete cycle. However, they…
Happy Birthday Claude Debussy
I love Debussy’s music especially his piano works. Here is a little piece to celebrate his birthday, which was on this day in 1862 (he died in 1918). It’s from the first book of Préludes and entitled ‘Girl with the Flaxen Hair’ (La fille aux cheveux de lin). I recorded this piece at Wigmore Hall, London, in…
Some thoughts on the Van Cliburn Competition 2013
The Winner of the 2013 Van Cliburn Piano Competition has just been announced and as is so often the case, there has been much controversy over the decision. I haven’t been following all the various rounds but I have been enjoying the updates on Twitter and the general consensus about winners. The Van Cliburn Competition…
Energy is Eternal Light: A tribute to Steve Martland
British composer Steve Martland died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of just 53 on May 6th 2013. Martland was born in Liverpool and studied at Liverpool University attending the Royal Conservatory in the Hague on a Mendelssohn scholarship. He studied with Louis Andriessen and then later with Gunther Schuller at the Berkshire…
Celebrating 200 years of Wagner via Liszt
This week marked the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner’s birth on May 22nd (1813 – 1883). Love him or hate him, Wagner made his beliefs heard, whether they be musical or political. His music is decadent to say the least and full of grand romantic gestures, declarations, and huge orchestral forces. It is impressive, even…