The Sydney Symphony Orchestra prepares to open its 2012 season with four performances of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony over the coming week. Check out this witty Q and A with Philip Glass from the UK Guardian on the curse of composing a Ninth Symphony.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/feb/05/pass-notes-ninth-symphony
Awards for excellence in acting are separated according to gender, so why aren’t the awards for excellence in music? Jessica Duchen of The Independent argues the detrimental effects of a continuing focus on the appearance rather than the abilities of female musicians: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/features/sexism-with-strings-attached-8197972.html
Selby & Friends presents a third online performance, welcoming two new friends to their online series, performing Schubert’s joyous ‘Trout’ Quintet. They will perform Mozart’s final Piano Trio, Brahms’ final Piano Quartet, No 3 in C minor Op. 60 and Schubert’s inimitable Piano Quintet in A major, Op.114 Die Forelle. The entire concert along with…
A new recording of the piano music of Elena Kats-Chernin, Butterflying, is due for release this week, as a double CD on ABC Classics (ABC 481 2625). Performed by ARIA-Award winner Tamara-Anna Cislowska and the composer herself, Butterflying is the first major survey of the piano music of Elena Kats-Chernin. Ever since her childhood in Uzbekistan,…
Australian composer Nicholas Vines has received a ringing endorsement by no less a journal than The New York Times, for his composition for clarinet and piano, Rustling the Deities. Performed by the “superb new-music ensemble counter)induction” (Allan Kozinn in The New York Times), this review happily supports the release last week of the debut recording of Vines’ music Torrid…
Clare Salaman is a British musicians who founded the Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments in 2010 “to explore a repertoire that ranges from folk songs and earthy dances to high art music from the 18th century and before, as well as newly composed pieces.” View this video from the BBC of some instruments in her unusual…
Terrific reading for classical music fans in the Sydney Morning Herald: The Sydney Symphony’s tour of China: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/diplomacy-conducted-on-a-grand-scale-20121120-29nz4.html Natalie Bochenski interviews classical guitarist Milos Karadaglic: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/milo-lets-his-fingers-do-the-talking-20121121-29pz7.html Peter McCallum reviews the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Russian Visions programme: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/from-russia-visions-of-its-disturbing-tumultuous-past-20121119-29m42.html And Philip Glass’ epic opera Einstein on the Beach returns ….to Melbourne in 2013: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/time-is-relative-as-fourhour-einstein-opera-epic-returns-20121120-29nxn.html