Music
Medtner: Piano Concerto No. 1 / Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 by Jayson Gillham, MSO and Benjamin Northey
I love discovering new (but old and forgotten) composers and their long-neglected compositions. Everyone knows Rachmaninoff, his famous piano concertos (the second of which is on this album) and symphonic works. However, one of his closest friends, Nikolai Medtner, was…
Falla: El Amor Brujo by Euskal Barrokensemble, María José Pérez and Enrike Solinís
Manuel de Falla’s legacy is a study in contradictions. Although Spanish-born, Falla spent seven years in Paris, where he greedily consumed the music of Ravel and Debussy, and marvelled at colourful spectacles at the Ballets Russes. In France, Falla was…
Mozart in Havana by Simone Dinnerstein & José Antonio Méndez Padrón
On the first listen through this album, I was presented with Mozart in his most recognisable form. There was bounce to the phrasing, with delicacy and depth to the timbre, without heaviness. The blending of the orchestra and the piano…
J.S. Bach: Cantatas for Soprano by Carolyn Sampson
J.S. Bach composed for the voice like he did for a string instrument: highly chromatic, with irregular intervallic leaps, not necessarily taking the human limitations of singing into account. Bach asked a lot of his singers, composing long phrases (requiring…
The Nashville Sound by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Call him Americana, call him rock and pop, call him whatever you want. Jason Isbell is one of today’s premier songwriters, regardless of genre. In the 400 Unit, he has one of the best bands making music today. And no…
Suite Cubed: Bach and Beyond by Umberto Clerici
Cellist Umberto Clerici wondered how eighteenth-century audiences listened to J.S. Bach’s cello suites, and what they heard and recognised in the music. Although Bach’s solo cello suites are variations of dance forms, he did not write them for dancing. Audiences…
Bel Canto: The Voice of the Viola by Antoine Tamestit & Cedric Tiberghien
The butt of musicians’ jokes, the viola is often overlooked as a solo instrument. Not quite as high as a violin, and nowhere near as low as the cello, the viola’s most common function is to pad out harmonies or…
Chaconnes and Fantasias: Music of Britten and Purcell by Emerson String Quartet
At first glance, you might think Purcell and Britten have nothing in common bar their English origin. However, when you dig deeper you find that Britten was somewhat of a fanboy of Purcell and frequently looked to his predecessor (by…
À Madame: Divertissement pour Adélaïde by Olivier Baumont & Julien Chauvin
2017 is the year for music from the court of Versailles. First there was La Harpe Reine, then Henriette: The Princess of the Viol, and now À Madame: Divertissement Pour Adélaïde. I’m not complaining – the repertoire…
Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes
It’s been six quiet years between drinks for Fleet Foxes fans and it’s fair to say the fans are thirsty. After one listen to the long awaited album Crack-Up, it’s clear that those years have not been wasted. Quite…
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