We know Bach, but what of the other applicants for his Leipzig post in 1723? Leipzig 1723 gave us cantatas by Bach, Telemann, and Graupner. Whilst for the next generation of the Bach family, Les Ombres took us back to the elegance of the Bach-Abel evenings in London.
With Dichterliebe Reimagined, Koen van Stade and Neal Peres Da Costa brought creative freedom and musical rhetoric to bear on an historically informed account of Schumann's song cycle.
Viola player Timothy Ridout seduced in his transcription of Elgar's Cello Concerto. Ethel Smyth's first major success, Der Wald, finally received its premiere recording in a terrific account from John Andrews and BBC Symphony Orchestra, making us ask, why the wait? A disc of songs by Franco Alfano from Anna Pirozzi and Emma Abbate revealed a distinctive voice and richly rewarding sound-world.
Jocelyn Freeman and friends created a compelling programme of Pushkin-related music Britten, Shostakovich and Prokofiev, whilst Peter Jablonski and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra explored Grażyna Bacewicz's piano concertos.
Contemporary music included the stunning sound world of Russian-trained Estonian composer, Galina Grigorjeva's music for male-voice choir, Arne Nordheim's seductive The Tempest, Suite from the Ballet, and Jonathan Dove's intense In Exile. The Engegård Quartet continued their exploration of Olli Mustonen's chamber music with the terrific, atmospheric pairing of String Quartet No. 1 and Piano Quintet.
In a slightly unlikely but completely tempting pairing, countertenor Reginald Mobley joined jazz pianist/composer Baptiste Trotignon for a disc of spirituals.
Read our 2023 selection below:
- Style and elegance: with Bach-Abel Society, Les Ombres take us back to the elegant evenings of the Bach-Abel concerts in London
- Galina Grigorjeva: Music for Male-Voice Choir, a simply stunning disc that brings together the rich and complex sound world of the Russian-trained Estonian composer Galina Grigorjeva with the terrific musicality of the Estonian National Male Choir
- Once you hear it, I guarantee you'll be seduced: Arne Nordheim's The Tempest, Suite from the Ballet in a new recording from Bergen
- A wonderful sense of poetry: Timothy Ridout in Lionel Tertis' viola transcription of Elgar's Cello Concerto
- Friends are nothing, Family nothing, all the world is a wilderness - premiere recording of Jonathan Dove's In Exile
- The Poet's Echo: Jocelyn Freeman & friends weave a compelling programme out Pushkin settings by Prokofiev, Shostakovich & Britten
- Leipzig 1723: we know Bach won, but the fascination of hearing the application cantatas for the Thomaskantor position from Telemann, Graupner and Bach in superb performances
- Grażyna Bacewicz's piano concertos and more on an exciting disc from Peter Jablonski & the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
- Because: in a slightly unlikely but completely seductive pairing, countertenor Reginald Mobley is joined by jazz pianist/composer Baptiste Trotignon
- Terrific and intensely atmospheric: the String Quartet No. 1 and Piano Quintet by Olli Mustonen from the Engegård Quartet and the composer
- Music of such engaging variety and imagination: Richard Boothby's Music to hear... exploring Alfonso Ferrabosco's 1609 book of music for solo lyra viol
- Why the wait? Ethel Smyth's first major success, Der Wald, finally receives its premiere recording in a terrific account from John Andrews and BBC Symphony Orchestra
- Celebrating 17th-century Venice as a place of tolerance for gay artists - Infinite Refrain: Music of Love's Refuge from Jorge Navarro Colorado and Randall Scotting
- A distinctive voice and richly rewarding sound-world: songs by Franco Alfano from Anna Pirozzi and Emma Abbate
- Dichterliebe Reimagined: Koen van Stade and Neal Peres Da Costa bring creative freedom and musical rhetoric to bear on an historically informed account of Schumann's song cycle
Never miss out on future posts by following us
The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.
Elsewhere on this blog
- A welcome relief from regular Christmas fare: the Tallis Scholars introduce us to the subtle riches of Jacobus Clemens non Papa - concert review
- The Nativity: the American choir, Voce in a sequence of carols from Patrick Hawes - record review
- Like no other: Brixton Chamber Orchestra's Christmas party moved from classical & carols to rap, disco & a Shane MacGowan tribute - concert review
- Jane Austen’s Music: a life-long obsession - guest posting
- Pandora's Box: great tunes, a neat moral, energetic performances, London Youth Opera premieres Stuart Hancock & Donald Sturrock's new opera - opera review
- A sense of dramatic narrative: Wild Arts in Handel's Messiah at The Art Workers' Guild - concert review
- A remarkable cultural synthesis: Vache Baroque & La Vaghezza's A Baroque Hanukkah, celebrations of Salmone Rossi's Hebrew-texted The Songs of Solomon - concert review
- Arctic saxophone: three imaginative & engaging new concertos from Ola Asdahl Rokkones, Arktisk Filharmoni & Per Kristian Skalstad - concert review
- Surrender to the gentle magic: Benjamin Tassie combines live-performance & field recording focusing on water-powered instruments to remarkably poetic effect - record review
- Youthful engagement & Romantic devotion: Claire Ward & JongSun Woo's CMF Lunchtime Recital - concert review
- The glories of Roman polychoral music after Palestrina explored by I Fagiolini with Benevoli's Missa Tu es Petrus for four choirs - record review
- Home
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment