November 22nd commemorates the birthdate of Benjamin Britten as well as the Feast Day of the patron saint of music, Saint Cecilia.
This is the Hymn to St Cecilia by Britten, with text by his friend W H Auden, performed by the Choir of King’s College Choir conducted by Sir David Willcocks
I. In a garden
II. I cannot grow
Ⅲ O ear whose creatures
When Philip Glass handpicked some pianists to perform all of his Etudes together at the Barbican in London last year, Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson was one of them. The Financial Times claimed: “Best of all was Ólafsson in the supersensitive stillness of Etude 5.” To celebrate the 80th birthday of Philip Glass, Deutsche Grammophon have released a…
Maurice Ravel, born March 7 1875 (d December 28, 1937). Jean-Yves Thibaudet gives a brilliant rendition of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester conducted by Philippe Jordan. 1 Allegramente2 Adagio assai3 Presto
This Saturday, ARIA award winning pianist Sally Whitwell teams up with soprano Allegra Giagu for an evening of music at Laguna Hall, Wollombi, just a short drive north of Sydney. Allegra and Sally have been friends for years and this, their first concert together will feature them as soloists as well as in ensemble. In this video/soundtrack, Sally…
Check out this preview of Vladimir Ashkenazy’s homage to Sibelius, a documentary Vladimir Ashkenazy on the Path of Jean Sibelius, with the Philharmonia Orchestra, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Click here to view the full documentary.
“The poem has not been completed until set to music” – Goethe. If Art Song needs to be re-invented to survive and evolve, the new CD “Serious Songs” from bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes (ABC Classics 476-4383) points in the right direction. The CD takes its title from Brahms’ Four Serious Songs,originally composed for bass and piano,…
A composite video of cellist Giovanni Sollima performing the stunningly beautiful self composed Sogno ad Occhi Aperti (Daydream) Part 1. Read our interview with Giovanni Sollima: A Cello and A Chair He performs in Sydney with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in April and May.