SO hands up those of you who were thinking of a particular piece of music software originally written by the brothers Finn rather than a retiring reformed bald alcoholic who created music by slowly transforming thematic elements, and burned most of his unfinished works, including the fabled 8th symphony (what is the next version of Sibelius software going to be called? This does not bode well for the future).
Known by the typical Finnish and Swedish name “Janne” to his family, when he was a student he began using the French form of his name, “Jean”, inspired by the business card of his seafaring uncle. He went on to become Jean Sibelius, the world famous composer and champion of Finnish music as well as one of the most popular 20th century symphonic writers. Continue reading
Category Archives: Media
Hans Gál – recording project
Gál was born in 1890 to a Jewish family in a small village just outside Vienna. He was trained at the New Vienna Conservatory where later he taught for some time.
With the support of such important musicians as Wilhelm Furtwängler, Richard Strauss and others, he obtained the directorship of the Mainz Conservatory.
Gál composed in nearly every genre and his operas, which include Der Artz der Sobeide, Die Heilige Ente andDas Lied der Nacht, were particularly popular during the 1920s.
Although not exactly a household name in the guitar world, he did compose many works which include the mandolin and guitar, some of which are for mandolin orchestra. Continue reading
More Biberian – Guitar Concerto
Concerto de Mars – Jacques Bondon
Here’s a rarity – it’s piece I used to listen to a lot on an LP.
It is performed by Konrad Ragossnig and the Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux and is by the impressionist/eclectic French composer Jacques Bondon.
It’s great to hear it forty years later.
Belated birthday greetings to Julian Bream (I know you have probably all heard this already)
With Britten and Bream celebrating anniversaries, there has been a bit of a frenzy on the broadcasting front.
So it was refreshing to listen to the programme “Come Heavy Sleep” on BBC3 which combined both anniversarians with insight, largely owing to the sympathetic interviewer, guitarist Tom McKinney.
with only 2 days left to listen, you might like to know a little about the programme anyway: Continue reading
Hall of Fame honour for Naxos Chairman
Classical Music News: Hall of Fame honour for Naxos Chairman
Klaus Heymann, the founding chairman of Naxos, has been included in the 2013 Gramophone Hall of Fame.
The other four citations were awarded posthumously!
Naxos has done a huge amount for the guitar in their Laureate series and their gradual complete coverage of the repertoire. Klaus Heymann has personally done a lot to promote the guitar (partly because it is advantageous economically!), and I am grateful to have been the first guitarist recorded by Naxos in the early days.
Free mp3 of recently discovered Britten, unheard since 1937
Roman Wall Blues was written to be performed as part of W.H. Auden’s radio play, Hadrian’s Wall, which was aired from Newcastle on 25 November 1937. The original broadcast, like much live radio at the time, does not survive, but the script does: Continue reading
New National Music Curriculum UK – Classical Music
Classroom music from 2014: the new National Curriculum | Classical Music.
It says that “the purpose of studying music is to ‘engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement,’ so that pupils eventually develop ‘a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon’” Continue reading
When Choirs Sing, Many Hearts Beat As One
When Choirs Sing, Many Hearts Beat As One
“it took almost no time at all for the singers’ heart rates to become synchronized. The readout from the pulse monitors starts as a jumble of jagged lines, but quickly becomes a series of uniform peaks. The heart rates fall into a shared rhythm guided by the song’s tempo“
This has been around a while now, but is still interesting. I wonder if anyone has measured heart rates of supporters at a football or tennis match.
Do guitar ensemble players live longer than soloists? (Only if they follow the conductor!)
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Goss Triple, Orpheus Sinfonia Grand Finale, July 11th 2013
This is a bit late, but Steve Goss, guitar composer hero has a performance of his Triple Concerto for Sax, Cello, Piano and Orchestra tomorrow at the Cadogan Hall, London SW1x 9DQ.
It is written for the Orpheus Sinfonia, of which he has been composer-in-residence and this concert also features Beethoven’s 9th.
Continue reading