Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, performed by the Thomanerchor of Leipzig. Composer Franz Xaver Gruber set the lyrics of Joseph Mohr to music in 1818, in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg in Austria. UNESCO declared this carol an intangible cultural heritage in March 2011.
Georg Philipp Telemann born March 14th 1681 (d 1757) . Friend and rival of JS Bach and Handel. Bach appointed Telemann godfather to his son Carl Philipp Emmanuel after whom he was also named. Fabulous playing of Telemann’s oboe concertos from the noted oboeist Heinz Holliger.
Claudio Monteverdi, born 15 May 1567. This duet from his opera L’Incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea) is ravishingly sung by soprano Danielle De Niese and counter-tenor Philippe Jarrousky.
This clip from YouTube revisits the Wagner gala concert conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras at the opening of the Sydney Opera House. Two of the SSO’s present musicians Colin Piper and Ronald Prussing performed in that concert and recollect what it was like. Simone Young talks about inheriting the mantle from from Sir Charles.
Virtuoso guitarist Slava Grigoryan last week released his recording of the Bach Cello Suites Volume II on ABC Classics on CD and digital album. Containing the cello suites 4,5 and 6, It follows Volume I, released in November 2016 which won the 2017 ARIA Award for Best Classical Album and the 2017 AIR Award for Best Independent Classical Album….
The Marais Project’s Jennifer Eriksson talks about the ensemble’s new album Spinning Forth, named after Paul Cutlan’s composition of the same name which features on the album. written for harpsichord and viola da gamba it the world premiere recording of this adventurous piece inspired by the writing of J S Bach. If you’re having difficulty…
Watch 20-year-old pianist Benjamin Grosvenor talks about his new CD Rhapsody in Blue – his debut concerto recording which features music from the French Romantics through to the swing of jazz.