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Apologies that this blog has become so one dimensional and infrequent of late, for various reasons.
I must take the opportunity to talk about 3 new pieces performed at the Proms last week.
The most significant of these it seemed to me, was Julian Anderson’s wonderful new piece, Heaven is Shy of Earth. I was worried that posting a week after it was performed that it would no longer be available, but it seems to be, because it had a repeat broadcast on Radio 3 last week. Do listen. So many things to enthuse about, above all for me, Angelika Kirchschlager’s luminous singing. I think you will understand the rapturous reception it received.
Two other to mention: Jonathan Harvey’s new piece …towards a pure land and James Dillon’s extraordinary piano concerto, Andromeda.
If you can only listen to these performances I guarantee your day will be enriched. Much else in the concerts is worthy of attention though!
Links to all the above concerts, including Programme Notes and the Proms Player are here.
Two interesting piece in the latest issue of the LRB. A typically intelligent review of the new Empson letters from Adam Phillips and the best review I have read yet of JPod, by Matthew Reynolds (print edition only). I love the quote from Empson on how to go about writing poetry. He suggested attempting
verse with a variety of sorts of feeling in it . . . it might be a good thing to try to show the clash of different philosophies, and social comedy, and quote lines of poetry by people quite different from you that you have thought especially good.
Some great concerts in the last week, still available (some only just) on the BBC Radio Player. First, I recommend both of last Saturday’s concerts for the Orlando Gough and Michael Henry pieces. I was lucky enough to be singing in We Turned on the Light, so am hardly objective, but if in doubt, do read the reviews. Also the Prokofiev, Alexander Nevsky on the Saturday evening was outstanding, a work I didn’t know at all, plus there was a lovely performance of Barber’s Knoxville – Summer of 1915.
Two concerts I’ve listed to on the Radio. The Shostakovich 8 on Monday from Sinaisky and the BBC Philharmonic was superb I thought (Gerard McBurney’s programme notes are also well worth reading). Henze’s Voices from Tuesday evening is also absolutely unmissable.
Then two more concerts I was lucky enough to attend. Wednesday’s concert for the Prokofiev, Britten and above all a riveting performance of the First Piano Concerto from Kissin. The other two items left me profoundly puzzled, but I’m prepared to forgive Andrew Davis anything. Last night was special too. A new piece by Hosokawa, wonderful singing from Christopher Maltman in Mahler and above all in a great week for Shostakovich, a genuinely revelatory performance of his last symphony.
Catch them while you can!
