Featured today
Profile. Frank Cooper — Investigating a musical archeologist extraordinare
Anniversaries
Domenico Carlo Maria Dragonetti (1763); Florence Beatrice Price (1887); Paul Robeson (1898); Antal Doráti (1906); Aulis Sallinen (1935); Claudio Ambrosini (1948); Bob Chilcott (1955); Benno Moiseiwitsch (1963); Graziella Sciutti (2001); Jeanne E Shaffer (2007); Kenneth McKellar (2010); Daniel Catán (2011); Valter Dešpalj (2023); more >>
Twenty-five years ago today
CD Spotlight — A New Adventure - Basil Ramsey discovers Bach in a different light (published 9 April 2000)
Twenty years ago today
Record box. Effective film music — Music by Mark Emney, reviewed by Patric Standford (published 9 April 2005)
Today's background image
Derived from a circa 1930 lantern slide of a vaulted arbour with stairs leading up to a gazebo at Morningside, Augusta, Georgia, USA, from the Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Gardens
Recent Articles
Ensemble. Unmistakeably Balletic — Mike Wheeler is impressed by the partnership between Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in music by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, and by Esther Yoo's performance of Bruch's first violin concerto
Spotlight. In the Face of Great Adversity — Gerald Fenech marks the history of this music from Jewish Vienna. '... unbridled warmth and passionate subtlety ...'
Spotlight. Contrasting Elements — Geoff Pearce gradually discovers the charm and skill of music by Justin Connolly. '... beautifully played.'
Spotlight. Something of a Miracle — Gerald Fenech strongly recommends music from a mysterious manuscript, played by Mathilde Vialle, Thibaut Roussel, Ronan Khalil and Zachary Wilder. '... this reading possesses a fluent and exuberant aura that brings out all of Bach's genius with enviable clarity and superbly controlled tempi.'
Ensemble. A Big Existential Question — Mike Wheeler listens to an all-American programme from Sinfonia Viva
Ensemble. Shocking and Gruesome — Ron Bierman reviews Richard Strauss' opera 'Salome'
The Title — Introducing 'The Pianistic Crown'
Classical music news. April 2025 Newsletter — 'Big Music', our April 2025 PDF newsletter, has just been published
Ensemble. A Bold Re-imagining — Mike Wheeler finds primeval turbulence in Opera North's production of Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman'
Beautifully Articulated — Jeffrey Neil finds, in Gillian Wills' novel 'Big Music', a drama that entertains, instructs, and makes you laugh
Ensemble. Very Impressive — Lucas Ball reports from Worcester Festival Choral Society's recent St Matthew Passion
A Renaissance Man — Gillian Wills talks to Jack Liebeck, artistic director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music
Classical music news - Ian Venables — The British composer celebrates with at least twenty-five performances on both sides of the Atlantic
Spotlight. Absolutely Stunning — Geoff Pearce listens to Lea Birringer's Sibelius, Szymanowski and Järnefelt. '... beautifully played.'
Ensemble. Deeply Satisfying — Mike Wheeler reviews Benjamin Frith's recital of music by J S Bach, Chopin, Schubert and Beethoven
Ensemble. Truly a Spectacle — Frances Forbes-Carbines strongly recommends Puccini's 'Turandot' at Covent Garden
Classical music news - Studio Martínek — American audio production company Parma Recordings has established new operations in Czechia
Spotlight. Enchantingly Luminous — Gerald Fenech strongly recommends Raphaël Pichon's new recording of J S Bach's B minor Mass. '... this reading possesses a fluent and exuberant aura that brings out all of Bach's genius with enviable clarity and superbly controlled tempi.'
Classical music news - Just Shut Up and Play? — High profile musicians cancel tours of the USA
Spotlight. Rather Enigmatic — Geoff Pearce, after listening to 'Missa Cambrensis', wants to hear more by Welsh composer Grace Williams. '... exceptional artists ...'
Ensemble. Phantasmagorical Imagery — Mike Wheeler reviews orchestral and choral music by Vaughan Williams, Elgar, Ravel and Saint-Saëns
A Worthy Captain — Peter King marks BBC presenter Petroc Trelawny's move from dawn to twilight
Ensemble. An Engaging Partnership — Mike Wheeler is impressed by Hana Chang, Delyana Lazarova and Sinfonia Viva, playing music by Fanny Mendelssohn, Mozart, Caroline Shaw and Beethoven
Classical music news - March 2025 Obituaries — Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
Barrelhouse — A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae
Classical music news. Jacques Cohen's 'Lancastria' — A new choral work commemorates the worst disaster in British maritime history
Classical music news. Obituary — Donald Hazelwood (1930-2025)
Classical music news. Susanna Mälkki — A high profile Finnish conductor is to become a professor of conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland
Classical music news. Montreal's Place des Arts — Classical music programming highlights in 2025 and 2026
Spotlight. Chosen with Great Care — Geoff Pearce discovers contemporary songs for mezzo-soprano and piano. '... exceptional artists ...'
Spotlight. Quite Compelling — Geoff Pearce listens to contemporary orchestral music on the Ablaze Records label. '... each composer is worthy of your consideration as they are all talented and original voices ...'
MORE ARTICLES
SPONSORED: CD Spotlight. Well Realized - Varda Kotler and Israel Kastoriano - recommended by Geoff Pearce.
