Classical Buzz
London children offered 400 music scholarshipsFriday, 13 May 2011
Private music patrons aim to raise £2 million to fund 400 scholarships for London children with a talent for music. The aim is to give steady four-year support for disadvantaged children to have Saturday lessons, individual coaching and group tuition to learn a musical instrument. Alongside the scholarships, there is to be a "partnership" scheme whereby professional musicians go into schools to work on music with up to 10,000 schoolchildren. Read more... |
BBC Proms 2011: The BriefingSaturday, 16 April 2011
In 2010, the prospectus didn't excite but the concerts turned out better than ever. "Let's hope it's not the other way round this year," commented Proms Director and Radio 3 Controller Roger Wright on Thursday afternoon as we milled around with our tea and biscuits under the eaves of the Royal College following a very jolly press briefing. For what's on offer looks, this time, very promising indeed, to me at any rate.... Read more... |
Gergiev's Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet: a worthy winner?Wednesday, 13 April 2011
It's just been crowned the BBC Music Magazine Awards' CD of the Year. But is Valery Gergiev's second complete recording of the 20th century's greatest ballet score, captured live at the Barbican for the LSO's own label, right at the top? In my Building a Library survey for BBC Radio 3, condensed in print for the BBCMM... Read more... |
Japanese musicians give earthquake benefit concertSunday, 10 April 2011
The Sapporo Symphony Orchestra had already scheduled a London appearance as part of its 50th-anniversary tour when the Japanese earthquake and tsunami struck. Now all proceeds from the Royal Festival Hall concert on 23 May will go directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society and the Japan Society Tohoku Earthquake Relief Fund. Read more... |
Covent Garden and Thomas Allen remember Robert TearSaturday, 02 April 2011
Last night the programme for the Royal Opera's current production of Fidelio included a special tribute to that most characterful of tenors, Robert Tear, who died this week at the age of 72. Only... Read more... |
Summary of main Arts Council winners and losersWednesday, 30 March 2011
A sliderule of 11-15 per cent reductions in annual grants by 2015, compared with this year, has been applied to Britain's major orchestras, opera, dance, theatre and music organisations. One major gainer is London's Barbican Centre - one major loser is the now world-famous Almeida Theatre, which loses almost 40 per cent of its current annual subsidy despite its reputation for innovation and discovery. However, the Arcola Theatre, another small innovative theatre, gets a big boost. Read more... |
A second string to the Menuhin bowSaturday, 19 March 2011
Yehudi Menuhin's influence continues to reach out a hand to young instrumentalists. His Menuhin Violin Competition for young players under 22 is internationally known; last weekend in the Waterloo Chamber of Windsor Castle - a staggeringly picturesque setting - some exceptional violinists, violists and cellists sought the laurels at the Windsor Festival International String Competition, Britain's major professional prize for string players set up in Menuhin's honour three years ago. Read more... |
A Nice Library Builder on Radio 3Friday, 04 February 2011
David Nice, one of our Arts Deskers, is in the exalted seat of Radio 3’s Building a Library tomorrow morning filtering recordings of Berlioz’s “dramatic symphony” Roméo et Juliette. Read more... |
Dame Margaret Price, 1941-2011Saturday, 29 January 2011
Perhaps her greatest achievement on disc is a role she would never have attempted in the theatre, Wagner's Isolde. Supported by the great Carlos Kleiber, the sheer meaning and luminous tone colours Price brings to every line make this one of the glories of recorded history. Below, Margaret Price sings Wagner's Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde Read more... |
When crossover goes haywireThursday, 20 January 2011
No one's saying that the mezzo of the moment, glamorous Latvian Elina Garanca, isn't a very class act indeed when it comes to high-quality opera, song and even zarzuela. But she didn't revert to the Age of Aquarius too successfully in this ill-advised TV show appearance, clearly not having visited... Read more... |
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